In scalar-tensor theories, compact objects may experience spontaneous scalarization. Recently, it was shown that matter-induced spontaneous scalarization of neutron stars is predominantly associated with a first-order phase transition. Here we consider matter-induced spontaneous scalarization of boson stars. Employing a repulsive quartic potential for the bosonic matter, we find only first-order phase transitions.
@article{arxiv.2509.05202,
title = {Phase transitions of boson stars in scalar-tensor theories},
author = {Hyat Huang and Burkhard Kleihaus and Jutta Kunz and Meng-Yun Lai and Eugen Radu and De-Cheng Zou},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2509.05202},
year = {2026}
}
Comments
18 pages, 7 figures; final version published in PRD