paper

Love beyond Einstein: Metric reconstruction and Love number in quadratic gravity using WEFT

arXiv:2508.02785 · doi:10.1007/JHEP11(2025)155

Abstract

We study tidal Love numbers of static black holes in four-dimensional quadratic theory of gravity, extending the result of GR. We use worldline effective field theory (WEFT) methods to compute metric perturbations from one-point functions, treating the higher-derivative terms perturbatively. We show that insertions of scalar fields on the worldline induce non-zero tidal tails, and the corresponding Love number displays no RG running. The same conclusion holds for the insertions of tensor fields. Furthermore, for scalar dipole perturbations, we derive a Yukawa-deformed Frobenius solution and match the asymptotic behavior to fix the UV charge, finding agreement with EFT predictions of Wilson coefficients. Our work demonstrates that quadratic higher-curvature corrections induce non-zero but scale-independent tidal responses, offering a robust EFT framework to test deviations from GR in gravitational wave observations.

arXiv comment59 pages, 7 figures, version to appear in JHEP

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