Linear stability of a time-dependent, spherically symmetric background in beyond Horndeski theory and the speed of gravity waves

Abstract

We address a dynamical, spherically symmetric background in beyond Horndeski theory and formulate a set of linear stability conditions for high energy perturbation modes above an arbitrary solution. In this general setting we derive speeds of propagation in both radial and angular directions for gravity waves and compare them with the speed of light in the case of minimally coupled photon. In particular, we find that the class of beyond Horndeski theories, which satisfy the equality of gravity waves' speed to the speed of light over a cosmological background, feature gravity waves propagating at luminal speeds above a time-dependent inhomogeneous background as well.