Black holes and their physical properties in modified gravitational (MOG) theories
Theoretical filters for shift-symmetric Horndeski gravities
Oct 10, 2025Athanasios Bakopoulos, Christos Charmousis, Nikos Chatzifotis, and Theodoros Nakas
We investigate the structure of nontrivial maximally symmetric vacua and compact-object solutions in shift-symmetric scalar-tensor theories. Focusing on Horndeski gravity, we derive consistency conditions directly from the field equations to identify the subclasses that admit Minkowski and de Sitter vacua with a nontrivial scalar field. In doing so, we obtain a filtering mechanism that operates independently of observational data. In this context, we introduce the notion of stealth vacua, where the scalar field remains active without altering the vacuum. Following this, we examine the theoretical framework of Horndeski theories that admit homogeneous geometries and we extract the implicit form of the solution pertaining to the entire family of theories. Building upon these frameworks, we construct exact solutions in beyond-Horndeski gravity by applying a linear disformal transformation to the regularized Einstein-Gauss-Bonnet black hole. This procedure yields solitonic spacetimes with scalar hair as well as black holes carrying primary scalar hair, demonstrating how disformal maps can qualitatively modify solution properties. We delineate the parameter space in which the transformation is well-defined and analyze the solutions. Our results provide both a principled criterion for selecting viable Horndeski models and a framework for exploring rich solution spaces in beyond-Horndeski gravity.arXiv-pdf DOI cite
Smarr formula for black holes with primary and secondary scalar hair
May 5, 2025Yun Soo Myung and Theodoros Nakas
In this work, we revisit the thermodynamics of black holes endowed with primary and secondary scalar hair in the shift and symmetric subclass of beyond Horndeski gravity. Under a specific fine-tuning of the scalar parameter in terms of the black hole mass, the singular black-hole solution with primary scalar hair reduces to the regular Bardeen solution featuring secondary scalar hair. We first demonstrate that the traditional thermodynamic approach fails to yield a consistent Smarr formula for both solutions under consideration. To address this issue, we adopt the approach introduced in [Phys Rev Lett. 132 (2024) 19, 191401], and we derive both the first law of black hole thermodynamics and the Smarr formula, offering a consistent thermodynamic description for scalar-hairy black holes. As an additional outcome, our analysis reveals a connection between the solutions with primary and secondary scalar hair.arXiv-pdf DOI cite
Exact black holes in string-inspired Euler-Heisenberg theory
Feb 19, 2024Athanasios Bakopoulos, Thanasis Karakasis, Nick E. Mavromatos, Theodoros Nakas, and Eleftherios Papantonopoulos
We consider higher-order derivative gauge field corrections that arise in the fundamental context of dimensional reduction of String Theory and Lovelock-inspired gravities and obtain an exact and asymptotically flat black-hole solution, in the presence of non-trivial dilaton configurations. Specifically, by considering the gravitational theory of Euler-Heisenberg non-linear electrodynamics coupled to a dilaton field with specific coupling functions, we perform an extensive analysis of the characteristics of the black hole, including its geodesics for massive particles, the energy conditions, thermodynamical and stability analysis. The inclusion of a dilaton scalar potential in the action can also give rise to asymptotically (A)dS spacetimes and an effective cosmological constant. Moreover, we find that the black hole can be thermodynamically favored when compared to the Gibbons-Maeda-Garfinkle-Horowitz-Strominger (GMGHS) black hole for those parameters of the model that lead to a larger black-hole horizon for the same mass. Finally, it is observed that the energy conditions of the obtained black hole are indeed satisfied, further validating the robustness of the solution within the theoretical framework, but also implying that this self-gravitating dilaton-non-linear-electrodynamics system constitutes another explicit example of bypassing modern versions of the no-hair theorem without any violation of the energy conditions.arXiv-pdf DOI cite
Compact objects with primary hair in shift and parity symmetric beyond Horndeski gravities
Dec 28, 2023Athanasios Bakopoulos, Nikos Chatzifotis, and Theodoros Nakas
In this work, we delve into the model of the shift symmetric and parity-preserving Beyond Horndeski theory in all its generality. We present an explicit algorithm to extract static and spherically symmetric black holes with primary scalar charge adhering to the conservation of the Noether current emanating from the shift symmetry. We show that when the functionals \(G_2\) and \(G_4\) of the theory are linearly dependent, analytic homogeneous black-hole solutions exist, which can become regular by virtue of the primary charge contribution. Such geometries can easily enjoy the preservation of the Weak Energy Conditions, elevating them into healthier compact objects than most hairy black holes in modified theories of gravity. Finally, we revisit the concept of disformal transformations as a solution-generating mechanism and discuss the case of generic \(G_2\) and \(G_4\) functionals.arXiv-pdf DOI cite
Black holes with primary scalar hair
Oct 18, 2023Athanasios Bakopoulos, Christos Charmousis, Panagiota Kanti, Nicolas Lecoeur, and Theodoros Nakas
We present explicit black holes endowed with primary scalar hair within the shift-symmetric subclass of Beyond Horndeski theories. These solutions depend, in addition to the conventional mass parameter, on a second free parameter encoding primary scalar hair. The properties and characteristics of the solutions at hand are analyzed with varying scalar charge. We observe that when the scalar hair parameter is close to zero or relatively small in comparison to the black hole mass, the solutions closely resemble the Schwarzschild spacetime. As the scalar hair increases, the metric solutions gradually depart from General Relativity. Notably, for a particular relation between mass and scalar hair, the central singularity completely disappears, resulting in the formation of regular black holes or solitons. The scalar field accompanying the solutions is always found to be regular at future or past horizon(s), defining a distinct time direction for each. As a final byproduct of our analysis, we demonstrate the existence of a stealth Schwarschild black hole in Horndeski theory with a non-trivial kinetic term.arXiv-pdf DOI cite
Novel exact ultra-compact and ultra-sparse hairy black holes emanating from regular and phantom scalar fields
Mar 16, 2023Athanasios Bakopoulos and Theodoros Nakas
In the framework of a simple gravitational theory that contains a scalar field minimally coupled to gravity, we investigate the emergence of analytic black-hole solutions with non-trivial scalar hair of secondary type. Although it is possible for one to obtain asymptotically (A)dS solutions using our setup, in the context of the present work, we are solely interested in asymptotically flat solutions. At first, we study the properties of static and spherically symmetric black-hole solutions emanating from both regular and phantom scalar fields. We find that the regular-scalar-field-induced solutions are solutions describing ultra-compact black holes, while the phantom scalar fields generate ultra-sparse black-hole solutions. The latter are black holes that can be potentially of very low density since, contrary to ultra-compact ones, their horizon radius is always greater than the horizon radius of the corresponding Schwarzschild black hole of the same mass. Then, we generalize the above static solutions to slowly rotating ones and compute their angular velocities explicitly. Finally, the study of the axial perturbations of the derived solutions takes place, in which we show that there is always a region in the parameter space of the free parameters of our theory that allows the existence of both ultra-compact and ultra-sparse black holes.arXiv-pdf DOI cite
Analytic and asymptotically flat hairy (ultra-compact) black-hole solutions and their axial perturbations
Jul 12, 2021Athanasios Bakopoulos and Theodoros Nakas
In this work, we consider a very simple gravitational theory that contains a scalar field with its kinetic and potential terms minimally coupled to gravity, while the scalar field is assumed to have a coulombic form. In the context of this theory, we study an analytic, asymptotically flat, and regular (ultra-compact) black-hole solutions with non-trivial scalar hair of secondary type. At first, we examine the properties of the static and spherically symmetric black-hole solution -- firstly appeared in 1504.08209 [gr-qc] -- and we find that in the causal region of the spacetime the stress-energy tensor, needed to support our solution, satisfies the strong energy conditions. Then, by using the slow-rotating approximation, we generalize the static solution into a slowly rotating one, and we determine explicitly its angular velocity \(\omega(r)\). We also find that the angular velocity of our ultra-compact solution is always larger compared to the angular velocity of the corresponding equally massive slow-rotating Schwarzschild black hole. In addition, we investigate the axial perturbations of the derived solutions by determining the Schrödinger-like equation and the effective potential. We show that there is a region in the parameter space of the free parameters of our theory, which allows for the existence of stable ultra-compact black hole solutions. Specifically, we calculate that the most compact and stable black hole solution is \(0.551\) times smaller than the Schwarzschild one, while it rotates \(2.491\) times faster compared to the slow-rotating Schwarzschild black hole. Finally, we present without going into details the generalization of the derived asymptotically flat solutions to asymptotically (A)dS solutions.arXiv-pdf DOI cite
Conference Papers
Normal and Phantom Black Holes in Scalar-Tensor Theories
June 06, 2025Athanasios Bakopoulos and Theodoros Nakas
In this work, we explore spherically symmetric black-hole solutions in a specific subclass of the Horndeski theories. By adopting a potential engineering approach, we derive exact analytic black-hole solutions endowed with scalar hair. We analyze the properties of these novel solutions and discover a spectrum that encompasses normal, ultra-compact, and ultra-sparse black holes. Each type of black hole emerges from a distinct range of scalar charge values. Rotating versions of these black holes are also obtained through a perturbation method, and their relative angular velocities are calculated. These rotation signatures may offer potential observational probes to test gravity. Our solutions showcase the richness of black hole geometries permitted in scalar-tensor theories beyond General Relativity. Further efforts to establish stability and astrophysical viability will be important in future directions.DOI cite
