Related papers: Exploring gravitational theories beyond Horndeski
We perform a Hamiltonian analysis of a large class of scalar-tensor Lagrangians which depend quadratically on the second derivatives of a scalar field. By resorting to a convenient choice of dynamical variables, we show that the Hamiltonian…
We study disformal transformations in the context of scalar extensions to teleparallel gravity, in which the gravitational interaction is mediated by the torsion of a flat, metric compatible connection. We find a generic class of…
Theories with higher order time derivatives generically suffer from ghost-like instabilities, known as Ostrogradski instabilities. This fate can be avoided by considering "degenerate" Lagrangians, whose kinetic matrix cannot be inverted,…
We present a new class of nonsingular bounce cosmology free from instabilities, using a single scalar field coupled to gravity within the framework of the Degenerate Higher-Order Scalar-Tensor (DHOST) theories. In this type of scenarios,…
We constrain the viable models of Horndeski gravity, written in its equivalent Generalised Galileon version, by resorting to the Witten positive energy theorem. We find that the free function $G_3(\phi, X)$ in the Lagrangian is constrained…
Standard sirens have been proposed as probes of alternative theories of gravity, such as Horndeski models. Hitherto, all studies have been conducted on a homogeneous-isotropic cosmological background, which is unable to consistently account…
The Horndeski Lagrangian brings together all possible interactions between gravity and a scalar field that yield second-order field equations in four-dimensional spacetime. As originally proposed, it only addresses phenomenology without…
This dissertation investigates three main topics, all of which dealing with alternative, higher-order gravity theories in four dimensions. Firstly, we study the variational and conformal structure of those theories. Next, we analyse their…
Disformal theories of gravity are scalar-tensor theories where the scalar couples derivatively to matter via the Jordan frame metric. These models have recently attracted interest in the cosmological context since they admit accelerating…
The Horndeski action is the most general one involving a metric and a scalar field that leads to second order field equations in four dimensions. Being the natural extension of the well known Scalar-Tensor theories, its structure and…
Horndeski gravity is the most general scalar-tensor theory with one scalar field leading to second-order Euler-Lagrange field equations for the metric and scalar field, and it is based on Riemannian geometry. In this paper, we formulate an…
The Horndeski theory of gravity is known as the most general scalar-tensor theory with second-order field equations. Recently, it was demonstrated by Gleyzes et al. that the Horndeski theory can further be generalized in such a way that…
It is known that Horndeski theories can be transformed to a sub-class of Gleyzes-Langlois-Piazza-Vernizzi (GLPV) theories under the disformal transformation of the metric $g_{\mu \nu} \to \Omega^2(\phi)g_{\mu \nu}+\Gamma (\phi,X)…
Generalized disformal transformations enable us to construct the generalized disformal Horndeski theories, which form the most general class of ghost-free scalar-tensor theories to this date. We extend the effective field theory (EFT) of…
We study new consistent scalar-tensor theories of gravity recently introduced by Langlois and Noui with potentially interesting cosmological applications. We derive the conditions for the existence of a primary constraint that prevents the…
We consider non-chiral, full Lorentz group-based Plebanski formulation of general relativity in its version that utilizes the Lagrange multiplier field Phi with "internal" indices. The Hamiltonian analysis of this version of the theory…
We propose a new class of higher derivative scalar-tensor theories without the Ostrogradsky's ghost instabilities. The construction of our theory is originally motivated by a scalar field with spacelike gradient, which enables us to fix a…
The Einstein-Hilbert action with a cosmological constant is the most general local four-dimensional action leading to second-order derivative equations of motion that are symmetric and divergence free. In higher dimensions, additional terms…
We investigate invariant canonical transformations of a spatially covariant scalar-tensor theory of gravity, called the XG theory, by which the action or the Hamiltonian and the primary constraints keep their forms invariant. We derive the…
In the single-field case, Horndeski provides the most general scalar-tensor theory with second-order field equations. By contrast, systematic multi-field extensions remain incomplete: while the general field equations for the bi-Horndeski…