https://doi.org/10.1140/epjc/s10052-026-15438-0
Regular Article - Theoretical Physics
Braneworlds in Einstein-Scalar-Gauss–Bonnet gravity
1
Departamento de Física, Universidade Federal do Ceará (UFC), Campus do Pici, C.P. 6030, 60455-760, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil
2
Programa de Pós-graduação em Física, Universidade Federal do Maranhão, Campus Universitário do Bacanga, 65080-805, São Luís, (MA), Brazil
a
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Received:
24
September
2025
Accepted:
10
February
2026
Published online:
27
February
2026
Abstract
We explore the features of a thick braneworld model in five dimensions governed by a Einstein–Gauss–Bonnet gravity with a non-minimal coupling to a dynamical scalar field. We consider two possible scalar-GB coupling function 
, one parity-even and another parity-odd function of the scalar field 
. For both choices, the scalar-Gauss–Bonnet non-minimal coupling produces a warped asymptotically 
spacetime even in the absence of a bulk cosmological constant. Outside the brane core, a negative cosmological constant is bounded by the scalar-GB coupling function. For a thick 3-brane configuration, we found solutions with localized brane energy density and pressure that dynamically produce a bulk cosmological constant. The corresponding scalar field solutions exhibit a non-topological (domain wall) behavior. In order to probe the 3-brane stability solution, we employed a perturbative analysis, by perturbing the thick brane solutions up to first-order. The Kaluza–Klein (KK) tensorial gravitational modes possess a localized massless mode and a tower of non-tachyonic diverging massive modes, what renders the solutions stable at least at the perturbative level.
© The Author(s) 2026
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