On the phase transition mechanism of spontaneous scalarization

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Hauptverfasser: Muniz, João Vitor M., Ortiz, Néstor, Mendes, Raissa F. P.
Format: Preprint
Veröffentlicht: 2025
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author Muniz, João Vitor M.
Ortiz, Néstor
Mendes, Raissa F. P.
author_facet Muniz, João Vitor M.
Ortiz, Néstor
Mendes, Raissa F. P.
contents In certain modified gravity theories that include additional scalar degrees of freedom, compact objects such as black holes and neutron stars may undergo a process known as spontaneous scalarization, in which the scalar field is suddenly activated beyond a certain critical point. Since its discovery, it has been clear that this effect can be understood in many cases as a continuous phase transition, well described by the phenomenological Landau model. Recently, it has been pointed out that spontaneous scalarization can also manifest as a first-order phase transition. In this paper, we take a closer look at the nature of spontaneous scalarization as a phase transition, analyzing in detail cases where it occurs as either a second- or first-order transition, as well as a more unconventional scenario characterized by a negative scalar susceptibility. Critical exponents are explicitly computed, and implications for dynamical scalarization are discussed. Moreover, the dynamics of a first-order phase transition is probed through fully nonlinear numerical simulations.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2503_11385
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle On the phase transition mechanism of spontaneous scalarization
Muniz, João Vitor M.
Ortiz, Néstor
Mendes, Raissa F. P.
General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
In certain modified gravity theories that include additional scalar degrees of freedom, compact objects such as black holes and neutron stars may undergo a process known as spontaneous scalarization, in which the scalar field is suddenly activated beyond a certain critical point. Since its discovery, it has been clear that this effect can be understood in many cases as a continuous phase transition, well described by the phenomenological Landau model. Recently, it has been pointed out that spontaneous scalarization can also manifest as a first-order phase transition. In this paper, we take a closer look at the nature of spontaneous scalarization as a phase transition, analyzing in detail cases where it occurs as either a second- or first-order transition, as well as a more unconventional scenario characterized by a negative scalar susceptibility. Critical exponents are explicitly computed, and implications for dynamical scalarization are discussed. Moreover, the dynamics of a first-order phase transition is probed through fully nonlinear numerical simulations.
title On the phase transition mechanism of spontaneous scalarization
topic General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2503.11385