Related papers: Ostrogradsky in Theories with Multiple Fields
We study the stability of a recently proposed model of scalar-field matter called mimetic dark matter or imperfect dark matter. It has been known that mimetic matter with higher derivative terms suffers from gradient instabilities in scalar…
In this essay I show that there exists a new way to obtain scalar-tensor field theories by combining a special scalar field on the tangent bundle of a four-dimensional manifold with a scalar field on that manifold. These two scalar fields…
Horndeski theory is the most general scalar-tensor theory retaining second-order field equations, although the action includes higher-order terms. This is achieved by a special choice of coupling constants. In this paper, we investigate…
We construct the consistent ghost-free covariant scalar-vector-tensor gravity theories with second order equations of motion with derivative interactions. We impose locality, unitarity, Lorentz invariance and pseudo-Riemannian geometry as…
The Horndeski theories are extended into the Lovelock gravity theory. When the canonical scalar field is uniquely kinetically coupled to the Lovelock tensors, it is named after Lovelock scalar field. The Lovelock scalar field model is a…
Teleparallel gravity theories were proposed as alternatives to the dark energy and modified theories of gravity. However, both the metric and symmetric teleparallel gravity theories have been found to have serious pathologies, such as…
We construct gravitational modifications that go beyond Horndeski, namely theories with extended nonminimal derivative couplings, in which the coefficient functions depend not only on the scalar field but also on its kinetic energy. Such…
We present all scalar-tensor Lagrangians that are cubic in second derivatives of a scalar field, and that are degenerate, hence avoiding Ostrogradsky instabilities. Thanks to the existence of constraints, they propagate no more than three…
Interacting theories with higher derivatives involve ghosts. They correspond to instabilities that display themselves at the classical level. We notice that comparatively "benign" mechanical higher-derivative systems exist where the…
A metric transformation is a tool to find a new theory of gravity beyond general relativity. The gravity action is guaranteed to be free from a dangerous Ostrogradsky mode as long as the metric transformation is regular and invertible.…
Higher-order scalar-tensor theories having an instantaneous mode do not develop the Ostrogradsky instability even if a seemingly dangerous mode is present. Such theories satisfy only partially the degeneracy conditions that are usually…
We study the structure of scalar-tensor theories of gravity based on derivative couplings between the scalar and the matter degrees of freedom introduced through an effective metric. Such interactions are classified by their tensor…
Gravity theories with non-minimally coupled scalar fields are used as characteristic examples in order to demonstrate the challenges, pitfalls and future perspectives of considering alternatives to general relativity. These lecture notes…
It is known that Horndeski theories, like many other scalar-tensor gravities, do not support static, spherically symmetric wormholes: they always have either ghosts or gradient instabilities among parity-even linearized perturbations. Here…
In this paper we construct a class of Degenerate Higher-Order Scalar-Tensor (DHOST) theories with an extra scalar field, which admits viable solutions of bouncing universe satisfying the following requirements: (i) absence of…
The effective field theory of massive gravity had long been formulated in a generally covariant way arXiv:hep-th/0210184. Using this formalism, it has been found recently that there exists a class of massive nonlinear theories that are free…
It is shown that polynomial gravity theories with more than four derivatives in each scalar and tensor sectors have a regular weak-field limit, without curvature singularities. This is achieved by proving that in these models the effect of…
In the context of Lorentz-invariant massive gravity we show that classical solutions around heavy sources are plagued by ghost instabilities. The ghost shows up in the effective field theory at huge distances from the source, much bigger…
We analyze the unitarity properties of higher derivative quantum field theories which are free of ghosts and ultraviolet singularities. We point out that in spite of the absence of ghosts most of these theories are not unitary. This result…
Since the discovery of the accelerated expansion of the present Universe, significant theoretical developments have been made in the area of modified gravity. In the meantime, cosmological observations have been providing more high-quality…