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arXiv · 2006.15017

Observational Constraints on the Regularized 4D Einstein-Gauss-Bonnet Theory of Gravity

Timothy Clifton·Pedro Carrilho·Pedro G. S. Fernandes·David J. Mulryne
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Abstract

In this paper we study the observational constraints that can be imposed on the coupling parameter, $\hat \alpha$, of the regularized version of the 4-dimensional Einstein-Gauss-Bonnet theory of gravity. We use the scalar-tensor field equations of this theory to perform a thorough investigation of its slow-motion and weak-field limit, and apply our results to observations of a wide array of physical systems that admit such a description. We find that the LAGEOS satellites are the most constraining, requiring $| \hat \alpha | \lesssim 10^{10} \,{\rm m}^2$. This constraint suggests that the possibility of large deviations from general relativity is small in all systems except the very early universe ($t<10^{-3}\, {\rm s}$), or the immediate vicinity of stellar-mass black holes ($M\lesssim100\, M_{\odot}$). We then consider constraints that can be imposed on this theory from cosmology, black hole systems, and table-top experiments. It is found that early universe inflation prohibits all but the smallest negative values of $\hat \alpha$, while observations of binary black hole systems are likely to offer the tightest constraints on positive values, leading to overall bounds $0 \lesssim \hat \alpha \lesssim 10^8 \, {\rm m}^2$.

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Timothy Clifton, Pedro Carrilho, Pedro G. S. Fernandes, David J. Mulryne. 2020-06-26. Observational Constraints on the Regularized 4D Einstein-Gauss-Bonnet Theory of Gravity. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevd.102.084005

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