Related papers: Low redshift constraints on scalar-tensor theories
Scalar-tensor theories have shown great potential in inducing tailored modifications compared to cosmic evolution in the $\Lambda$CDM model. We reconsider quintessence models in this work in the context of three driving potentials. We…
The scalar potential of theories with broken supersymmetry can have a number of local minima characterized by different gauge groups. Symmetry properties of the physical vacuum constrain the parameters of the MSSM. We discuss these…
The existence and detection of scalar fields could provide solutions to long-standing puzzles about the nature of dark matter, the dark compact objects at the centre of most galaxies, and other phenomena. Yet, self-interacting scalar fields…
We consider a scalar-tensor theory of gravitation with the scalar source being the trace of the stress-energy tensor of the scalar field itself and matter. We obtain an example of a numerical solution of the cosmological equations which…
At the linear level, the gravitational wave (GW) spectrum predicted by inflation, and many of its alternatives, can have arbitrarily small amplitude and consequently an unconstrained tilt. However, at second order, tensor fluctuations are…
The search for a physical model which explains the observed recent acceleration of the universe is a compelling task of modern fundamental cosmology. Recently Fernandes \textit{et al.} presented low redshift observational constraints on a…
We use the X-ray power spectrum of the ROSAT all-sky survey in the R6 band (approximately 0.9-1.3 keV) to set an upper limit on the galaxy cluster power spectrum. The cluster power spectrum is modelled with a minimum number of robust…
Scalar-tensor theories have a long history as possible phenomenological alternatives to General Relativity, but are known to potentially produce deviations from the (strong) equivalence principle in systems involving self-gravitating…
We present the first constraints on pure-gravity sector Standard-Model Extension (SME) parameters using Lunar Laser Ranging (LLR). LLR measures the round trip travel time of light between the Earth and the Moon. With 34+ years of LLR data,…
The recent simultaneous detection of gravitational waves and a gamma ray burst from a neutron star merger significantly shrank the space of viable scalar-tensor theories by demanding that the speed of gravity is equal to that of light. The…
We study the cosmological evolution of massless single-field scalar-tensor theories of gravitation from the time before the onset of $e^+e^-$ annihilation and nucleosynthesis up to the present. The cosmological evolution together with the…
We analyze infrared consistency conditions of 3D and 4D effective field theories with massive scalars or fermions charged under multiple $U(1)$ gauge fields. At low energies, one can integrate out the massive particles and thus obtain a…
Although the modified dynamics (MOND) proposed by Milgrom successfully accounts for the systematics of galaxy rotation curves and cluster dynamics without invoking dark matter, the idea remains a largely ad hoc modification of Newtonian…
Pulsar-timing has become a celebrated tool for probing modifications to General Relativity in the strong-field surroundings of neutron stars. Here we investigate whether scalar-tensor theories that incorporate a nonminimally coupled scalar…
The use of Lagrange multipliers in the context of quintessence/phantom scalar fields allows to constrain the behavior of the scalar field, which provides a powerful tool, not only for the reconstruction of cosmological solutions but also…
We study the phenomenology of the beyond Horndeski class of scalar-tensor theories of gravity, which on cosmological scales can be characterised in terms of one extra function of time, $\alpha_{\rm H}$, as well as the usual four Horndeski…
We construct a cosmological scalar-tensor-theory model in which the Brans-Dicke type scalar $\Phi$ enters the effective (Jordan-frame) Hubble rate as a simple modification of the Hubble rate of the $\Lambda$CDM model. This allows us to…
Light scalar fields can naturally couple disformally to matter fields. Static, non-relativistic sources do not generate a classical field profile for a disformally coupled scalar, and so such scalars are free from the constraints on the…
Modified theories of gravity that offer viable models for dark energy often rely on mechanisms that screen their effects in high density environments. From this perspective, it would appear that, once solar system constraints are satisfied,…
We use $Planck$ 2018 data to constrain the simplest models of scalar-tensor theories characterized by a coupling to the Ricci scalar of the type $F(\sigma) R$ with $F(\sigma) = N_{pl}^2 + \xi \sigma^2$. We update our results with previous…