Thermal stability of stealth and de Sitter spacetimes in scalar-tensor gravity

Stealth solutions of scalar-tensor gravity and less-known de Sitter spaces that generalize them are analyzed regarding their possible role as thermal equilibria at non-zero temperature in the new first-order thermodynamics of scalar-tensor gravity. No stable equilibria are found, further validating the special role of general relativity as an equilibrium state in the landscape of gravity theories, seen through the lens of first-order thermodynamics.

More on the first-order thermodynamics of scalar-tensor and Horndeski gravity

Two issues in the first-order thermodynamics of scalar-tensor (including "viable" Horndeski) gravity are elucidated. The application of this new formalism to FLRW cosmology is shown to be fully legitimate and then extended to all Bianchi universes. It is shown that the formalism holds thanks to the almost miraculous fact that the constitutive relations of Eckart's thermodynamics are satisfied, while writing the field equations as effective Einstein equations with an effective dissipative fluid does not contain new physics.

Past-directed scalar field gradients and scalar-tensor thermodynamics

We refine and slightly enlarge the recently proposed first-order thermodynamics of scalar-tensor gravity to include gravitational scalar fields with timelike and past-directed gradients. The implications and subtleties arising in this situation are discussed and an exact cosmological solution of scalar-tensor theory in first-order thermodynamics is revisited in light of these results.

Scalar field as a perfect fluid: thermodynamics of minimally coupled scalars and Einstein frame scalar-tensor gravity

We revisit the analogy between a minimally coupled scalar field in general relativity and a perfect fluid, correcting previous identifications of effective temperature and chemical potential. This provides a useful complementary picture for the first-order thermodynamics of scalar-tensor gravity, paving the way for the Einstein frame formulation (which eluded previous attempts) and raises interesting questions to further develop the analogy.