Spontaneous scalarization
arXiv:2211.01766 · doi:10.1103/RevModPhys.96.015004
Abstract
Scalarization is a mechanism that endows strongly self-gravitating bodies, such as neutron stars and black holes, with a scalar-field configuration. It resembles a phase transition in that the scalar configuration appears only when a certain quantity that characterizes the compact object, for example, its compactness or spin, is beyond a threshold. A critical and comprehensive review of scalarization, including the mechanism itself, theories that exhibit it, its manifestation in neutron stars, black holes and their binaries, potential extension to other fields, and a thorough discussion of future perspectives, is provided.
51 pages, 24 figures. Review commissioned by Reviews of Modern Physics, submitted version, comments welcome. v2: more references, improved text, and typos corrected. Updated to match the published version