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Rapidly rotating neutron star collapse in massive scalar-tensor theories

José Carlos Olvera M.1,2,*, Daniela D. Doneva1,2, Pablo Cerdá-Durán2,3, José A. Font2,3, and Stoytcho S. Yazadjiev4,5

  • 1Theoretical Astrophysics, IAAT, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
  • 2Departamento de Astronomía y Astrofísica, Universitat de València, Avinguda Vicent Andrés Estellés 19, 46100 Burjassot (València), Spain
  • 3Observatorio Astronómico, Universitat de València, C/ Catedrático José Beltrán 2, 46980 Paterna (València), Spain
  • 4Department of Theoretical Physics, Faculty of Physics, Sofia University, Sofia 1164, Bulgaria
  • 5Institute of Mathematics and Informatics, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Academician Georgi Bonchev Street 8, Sofia 1113, Bulgaria

  • *Contact author: jose.olvera-meneses@uni-tuebingen.de
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Phys. Rev. D 114, 024052 – Published 20 July, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/2vtd-4559

Abstract

We present a full 3D numerical evolution code to study neutron stars in massive scalar-tensor theories. The code is embedded in the einstein toolkit framework and its implementation constitutes a modified version of the Baumgarte-Shapiro-Shibata-Nakamura formalism with an additional nonminimally coupled scalar field. The approach we follow preserves the standard hydrodynamic evolution for matter fields, allowing eventually for a straightforward inclusion of more microphysical effects and better flexibility. Using this code, we examine the gravitational collapse of rapidly rotating, scalarized neutron stars to a black hole by exploring the influence of the scalar field on the dynamical features of the process and on the gravitational-wave emission. We find that for the configurations studied in this work, there is an observational degeneracy in the tensorial gravitational-wave emission between collapsing scalarized stars and their counterparts in general relativity. However, this degeneracy can be broken through the emission of scalar radiation, which carries an energy of ∼10−3M⊙c2. This is orders of magnitude higher than the quadrupolar emission (∼10−7M⊙c2) and might be used as an observational probe of modified gravity. We also find that rapid rotation can enhance this signal, since fast rotating stars can sustain larger scalar field amplitudes.

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Phys. Rev. D 114, 024052– Published 20 July, 2026
  • Received 27 May 2026
  • Accepted 1 July 2026
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