Galilean-invariant scalar fields can strengthen gravitational lensing

TL;DR

This paper explores how Galileon scalar fields, which are compatible with Solar System tests, can enhance gravitational lensing on cosmological scales, offering a potential new probe for modified gravity theories.

Contribution

It introduces a coupling of Galileons to stress energy that can increase gravitational lensing, providing a novel observational signature for testing these theories.

Findings

Galileons can suppress local effects while affecting cosmological phenomena.

Massive gravity-inspired couplings can enhance lensing signals.

Stacked cluster weak lensing can detect or constrain this effect.

Abstract

The mystery of dark energy suggests that there is new gravitational physics on long length scales. Yet light degrees of freedom in gravity are strictly limited by Solar System observations. We can resolve this apparent contradiction by adding a Galilean-invariant scalar field to gravity. Called Galileons, these scalars have strong self-interactions near overdensities, like the Solar System, that suppress their dynamical effect. These nonlinearities are weak on cosmological scales, permitting new physics to operate. In this Letter, we point out that a massive gravity inspired coupling of Galileons to stress energy gravity can have a surprising consequence: enhanced gravitational lensing. Because the enhancement appears at a fixed scaled location for a wide range of dark matter halo masses, stacked cluster analysis of weak lensing data should be able to detect or constrain this effect.