Probing the Ellis-Bronnikov wormhole geometry with a scalar field: clouds, waves and Q-balls

Abstract: The Ellis-Bronnikov solution provides a simple toy model for the study of various aspects of wormhole physics. In this work we solve the Klein-Gordon equation in this background and find an exact solution in terms of Heun's function. This may describe 'scalar clouds' ($i.e.$ localized, particle-like configuration) or scalar waves. However, in the former case, the radial derivative of the scalar field is discontinuous at the wormhole's throat (except for the spherical case). This pathology is absent for a suitable scalar field self-interaction, and we provide evidence for the existence of spherically symmetric and spinning Q-balls in a Ellis-Bronnikov wormhole background.