Luminal Scalar-Tensor theories for a not so dark Dark Energy (2412.13460v2)

Abstract: In general the speed of Gravitational Waves (GWs) in Scalar-Tensor modifications of Einstein's gravity is different from the speed of Light. Nevertheless, it has been measured that their speeds are nearly the same. For the most general Scalar-Tensor theories classified to date that do propagate a graviton -- DHOST, {\it including Horndeski and Beyond Horndeski (BH) theories} -- we show that, remarkably, up to 5 self-consistent couplings of the scalar of Dark Energy (DE) to the Photon are enough to make their GWs luminal in a wide set of cases. We find at least one Luminal Beyond Horndeski theory for which the GW decay into Dark Energy is suppressed in any cosmological background.