Dark Energy after GW170817: dead ends and the road ahead
read the original abstract
Multi-messenger gravitational wave (GW) astronomy has commenced with the detection of the binary neutron star merger GW170817 and its associated electromagnetic counterparts. The almost coincident observation of both signals places an exquisite bound on the GW speed $|c_g/c-1|\leq5\cdot10^{-16}$. We use this result to probe the nature of dark energy (DE), showing that a large class of scalar-tensor theories and DE models are highly disfavored. As an example we consider the covariant Galileon, a cosmologically viable, well motivated gravity theory which predicts a variable GW speed at low redshift. Our results eliminate any late-universe application of these models, as well as their Horndeski and most of their beyond Horndeski generalizations. Three alternatives (and their combinations) emerge as the only possible scalar-tensor DE models: 1) restricting Horndeski's action to its simplest terms, 2) applying a conformal transformation which preserves the causal structure and 3) compensating the different terms that modify the GW speed (to be robust, the compensation has to be independent on the background on which GWs propagate). Our conclusions extend to any other gravity theory predicting varying $c_g$ such as Einstein-Aether, Ho\v{r}ava gravity, Generalized Proca, TeVeS and other MOND-like gravities.
This paper has not been read by Pith yet.
Forward citations
Cited by 19 Pith papers
-
Contrastive self-supervised convolutional autoencoder for core-collapse supernova gravitational-wave detection
A contrastive self-supervised convolutional autoencoder detects core-collapse supernova gravitational waves with performance comparable to supervised CNNs, better generalization to unseen waveforms, and ~120 kpc sensi...
-
Inspiral gravitational waveforms from charged compact binaries with scalar hair
In Einstein-scalar-Maxwell theories, charged compact binaries produce gravitational waveforms containing a leading -1 post-Newtonian dipole correction controlled by one deviation parameter b.
-
Late-time reconstruction of non-minimally coupled gravity with a smoothness prior
Non-parametric reconstruction of non-minimally coupled gravity with a smoothness prior on CMB, DESI BAO, supernovae, and DES data yields a 2.8σ hint for coupling and a preference for phantom divide crossing stabilized...
-
A Master Equation for Screening in Luminal Horndeski Gravity
A master screening equation is derived for luminal Horndeski gravity that recovers Vainshtein and Chameleon mechanisms and introduces Phaedrus screening with screening radius scaling linearly with source mass.
-
Gravitational wave constraints on the Paneitz operator
The Paneitz operator in 4D belongs to extended mimetic gravity and is constrained by gravitational wave propagation speed.
-
Jacobson's thermodynamic approach to classical gravity applied to non-Riemannian geometries: remarks on the simplicity of Nature
Jacobson's thermodynamic approach applied to non-Riemannian geometries selects the Einstein-Hilbert action plus a quadratic torsion term as Nature's choice when non-metricity is absent and the metric energy-momentum t...
-
How deep can a cosmic void be? Voids-informed theoretical bounds in Galileon gravity
Galileon models must obey a void-depth limit tied to expansion history to avoid force breakdowns, excluding ~60% of a linear parameterization's space by z less than or equal to 10.
-
Eckart heat-flux applicability in $F(\Phi,X)R$ theories and the existence of temperature gradients
Eckart heat flux holds for all timelike scalar configurations in F(Φ,X)R + G theories if and only if F_X ≡ 0, reducing the theory to a Jordan-like subclass of Horndeski.
-
Degenerate higher-order scalar-tensor theories in metric-affine gravity
A metric-affine version of quadratic DHOST theories is derived and reduced to a one-function family that satisfies degeneracy conditions and light-speed gravitational wave propagation.
-
A cosmology-to-ringdown EFT consistency map for scalar-tensor gravity
An EFT consistency map transports cosmology-conditioned posteriors from scalar-tensor FLRW backgrounds to black-hole quasinormal-mode kernels, showing tensor-speed effects fall below ringdown detectability while other...
-
Enhancing Early Detection and Localization of Gravitational Waves via Eccentricity-Induced Higher Harmonic Modes with 2G Detector Networks
Eccentricity-induced higher harmonics allow binary neutron star gravitational wave signals to reach detection thresholds and achieve useful localization several minutes earlier in 2G detector networks than circular signals.
-
Hawking area law in quantum gravity
Exact Hawking area law from black hole mergers restricts quantum gravity to singular Ricci-flat or specific regular black holes in Stelle and nonlocal theories, derives the standard entropy-area law, and realizes Barr...
-
Tests of General Relativity with Binary Black Holes from the second LIGO-Virgo Gravitational-Wave Transient Catalog
No evidence for deviations from general relativity is found in LIGO-Virgo binary black hole events, with improved constraints on waveform parameters, graviton mass, and ringdown properties.
-
Planck 2018 results. VI. Cosmological parameters
Final Planck CMB data confirms the flat 6-parameter ΛCDM model with Ω_c h² = 0.120 ± 0.001, Ω_b h² = 0.0224 ± 0.0001, n_s = 0.965 ± 0.004, τ = 0.054 ± 0.007, H_0 = 67.4 ± 0.5 km/s/Mpc, and no strong evidence for extensions.
-
Interacting bosonic dark energy and fermionic dark matter in Einstein scalar Gauss-Bonnet gravity
Models of interacting bosonic dark energy and fermionic dark matter in Einstein-scalar-Gauss-Bonnet gravity with exponential and power-law potentials are dynamically analyzed and constrained by observational data, sho...
-
Interacting Scalar Fields as Dark Energy and Dark Matter in Einstein scalar Gauss Bonnet Gravity
Interacting scalar fields coupled to Gauss-Bonnet gravity yield viable dark energy and dark matter models that match Pantheon+ and DES supernova data while preferring over LambdaCDM at high redshifts with Roman mocks.
-
Cosmological searches for the neutrino mass scale and mass ordering
Thesis summarizing an upper limit of 0.12 eV on the neutrino mass sum, bias calibration via CMB lensing cross-correlations, and tighter limits plus stronger normal-ordering preference in non-phantom dynamical dark ene...
-
Tests of General Relativity with GWTC-3
No evidence for physics beyond general relativity is found in the analysis of 15 GW events from GWTC-3, with consistency in residuals, PN parameters, and remnant properties.
-
Cosmology from multimeasure multifield model
Numerical demonstration that a revised multimeasure multifield model with effective friction can describe the entire Universe evolution from inflation to late-time constant scalar field.
discussion (0)
Sign in with ORCID, Apple, or X to comment. Anyone can read and Pith papers without signing in.