Neutron stars in 4D Einstein-Gauss-Bonnet gravity (2412.15459v2)

Abstract: Since the derivation of a well-defined $D\to4$ limit for 4D Einstein-Gauss-Bonnet (4DEGB) gravity coupled to a scalar field, there has been considerable interest in testing it as an alternative to Einstein's general theory of relativity. Past work has shown that this theory hosts interesting compact star solutions which are smaller in radius than a Schwarzschild black hole of the same mass in general relativity (GR), though the stability of such objects has been subject to question. In this paper we solve the equations for radial perturbations of neutron stars in the 4DEGB theory with Skyrme Lyon (SLy)/Brussels-Montreal Skyrme functionals (BSk) class equations of state (EOSs), along with the M\"uller-Serot (MS2) EOS, and show that the coincidence of stability and maximum mass points in GR is still present in this modified theory, with the interesting additional feature of solutions re-approaching stability near the black hole solution on the mass-radius diagram. Besides this, as expected from past work, we find that larger values of the 4DEGB coupling $\alpha$ tend to increase the mass of neutron stars of the same radius (due to a larger $\alpha$ weakening gravity) and move the maximum mass points of the solution branches closer to the black hole horizon.