There and back again -- Closed timelike curves as EFT selection principle

Abstract: Modified gravity is often approached in the context of effective-field theory (EFT), with the view that the EFT corrections permit a more desirable theory. In this paper, we posit that this should extend to the causal structure of curved spacetime in addition to the standard demands such that of flat spacetime positivity and unitarity. We propose a new guiding principle for modified-gravity theories, namely that closed timelike curves should always be {\it harder} to obtain than in General Relativity. By demanding this, one can place powerful constraints on modified gravity. To elucidate this claim, we investigate modified-gravity EFTs on rotating black-hole backgrounds, focusing on the appearance/disappearance of closed timelike curves, and provide parameter bounds which only partly overlap with other approaches based on time delay. We construct perturbative rotating black-hole solutions in modified-gravity EFTs based on the Horndeski class and provide parameter bounds necessary to preserve causality and stability. Finally, we present a novel probe for the existence of closed timelike curves through quasinormal modes and black-hole echoes. This can be used to diagnose spacetime causality once next-generation gravitational-wave data becomes available.