Nonminimal curvature-matter coupled wormholes with matter satisfying the null energy condition

TL;DR

This paper presents a new wormhole solution supported by nonminimal curvature-matter coupling where normal matter obeys energy conditions, and the violation of the null energy condition arises from higher-order curvature derivatives.

Contribution

It introduces a wormhole model where matter satisfies energy conditions, with null energy condition violation caused by curvature derivatives, differing from previous models that relied on exotic matter.

Findings

Normal matter satisfies energy conditions at the throat.

Null energy condition violation is due to curvature derivatives.

Solution can be matched to an exterior vacuum spacetime.

Abstract

Recently, exact solutions of wormhole geometries supported by a nonminimal curvature-matter coupling were found, where the nonminimal coupling minimizes the violation of the null energy condition of normal matter at the throat. In this brief report, we present a solution where normal matter satisfies the energy conditions at the throat and it is the higher order curvature derivatives of the nonminimal coupling that is responsible for the null energy condition violation, and consequently for supporting the respective wormhole geometries. For simplicity, we consider a linear R nonmiminal curvature-matter coupling and an explicit monotonically increasing function for the energy density. Thus, the solution found is not asymptotically flat, but may in principle be matched to an exterior vacuum solution.