Perturbations and stability of black holes with static scalar hair in general GLPV theories

Abstract

We derive the background equations and complete odd- and even-parity quadratic actions for static, spherically symmetric black holes with radial scalar hair in general quartic-quintic Gleyzes-Langlois-Piazza-Vernizzi (GLPV) theories, including Horndeski. On regular, nondegenerate branches, the formulation applies across Killing horizons and yields local no-ghost conditions and radial and angular eikonal characteristics. Tensor modes in both parity sectors share the same squared radial speed. When the radial coordinate is timelike, generic antisymmetric mixing induces nonstandard large-multipole scaling for both even-parity angular branches. Requiring both branches to have finite, nonzero eikonal phase speeds selects the Horndeski-related compatibility condition between the quartic and quintic beyond-Horndeski functions. This condition aligns the covariant degeneracy directions and permits a local disformal map to Horndeski when regular and invertible. For a finite, nonzero scalar kinetic term at the horizon, every nontrivial branch of the exact quadratic GLPV black hole is locally unstable or has a degenerate tensor cone near a simple outer horizon. Apart from identified exceptions, this obstruction extends to general shift- and reflection-symmetric quadratic GLPV theories and the regular Horndeski-related branch of the quartic-quintic class. Finally, for scalar-Gauss-Bonnet black holes with a vanishing horizon scalar kinetic term, we construct analytic power-law quartic beyond-Horndeski deformations whose associated quintic function is fixed by the same condition. At sufficiently small coupling, all local no-ghost and high-frequency gradient-stability conditions hold throughout the exterior. For a linear Gauss-Bonnet coupling, we estimate an interior scale below which the background and stability expansions lose perturbative control; this does not imply a physical instability.