Stable wormholes in scalar-tensor theories

Abstract

We reconsider the issue of whether scalar-tensor theories can admit stable wormhole configurations supported by a non-trivial radial profile for the scalar field. Using a recently proposed effective theory for perturbations around static, spherically symmetric backgrounds, we show that scalar-tensor theories of "beyond Horndeski" type can have wormhole solutions that are free of ghost and gradient instabilities. Such solutions are instead forbidden within the more restrictive "Horndeski" class of theories.