Cosmological constraints and standard sirens forecasts for non-dynamical dark energy in Horndeski gravity
Abstract
We investigate an analytically tractable sector of the Extended Cuscuton model, a non-dynamical dark-energy realization within the framework of viable Horndeski gravity. We focus on four benchmark submodels and constrain them with current background probes, namely cosmic chronometers, Type-Ia supernovae, and BAO, while imposing theoretical viability, Lunar Laser Ranging, and Big Bang Nucleosynthesis bounds. We then forecast third-generation bright-standard-siren constraints with Einstein Telescope and Cosmic Explorer networks, considering prompt-emission, afterglow, and kilonova counterparts. Current data already restrict the viable parameter space to small departures from CDM and do not remove the calibration-driven offset between the CC+SN and CC+BAO determinations of . In principle, future bright sirens substantially sharpen the constraints, especially for kilonova catalogues and extended detector networks. Across the forecast configurations, the relative uncertainty on remains below and can reach in the most constraining cases, while is recovered at the percent level in the best cases. These results show that third-generation standard sirens can provide a precise complementary test of non-dynamical dark energy beyond CDM.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.2608.04079,
title = {Cosmological constraints and standard sirens forecasts for non-dynamical dark energy in Horndeski gravity},
author = {Marcello Miranda and Ruchika and Ivan De Martino and Daniele Vernieri and Salvatore Capozziello},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2608.04079},
year = {2026}
}
Comments
23 pages, 19 figures, 2 tables