Testing Gravity Using Dwarf Stars

TL;DR

This paper explores how deviations from general relativity in scalar-tensor theories affect low-mass stars, proposing that observations of brown and red dwarfs can test and constrain these alternative gravity models.

Contribution

It identifies low-mass stellar objects as effective probes for scalar-tensor gravity deviations and calculates observable effects on star radii and hydrogen burning thresholds.

Findings

Brown dwarf radii can significantly deviate from GR predictions.

Upcoming surveys can constrain scalar-tensor theories through stellar measurements.

Minimum hydrogen-burning mass can be higher than observed in some red dwarfs.

Abstract

Generic scalar-tensor theories of gravity predict deviations from Newtonian physics inside astrophysical bodies. In this paper, we point out that low mass stellar objects, red and brown dwarf stars, are excellent probes of these theories. We calculate two important and potentially observable quantities: the radius of brown dwarfs and the minimum mass for hydrogen burning in red dwarfs. The brown dwarf radius can differ significantly from the GR prediction and upcoming surveys that probe the mass-radius relation for stars with masses $<\mathcal{O}(0.1M_\odot)$ have the potential to place new constraints. The minimum mass for hydrogen burning can be larger than several presently observed Red Dwarf stars. This places a new and extremely stringent constraint on the parameters that appear in the effective field theory of dark energy and rules out several well-studied dark energy models.