Cosmological parameter constraints for Horndeski scalar-tensor gravity

Abstract

We present new cosmological parameter constraints for general Horndeski scalar-tensor theories, using CMB, redshift space distortion, matter power spectrum and BAO measurements from the Planck, SDSS/BOSS and 6dF surveys. We focus on theories with cosmological gravitational waves propagating at the speed of light, cGW=c, implementing and discussing several previously unaccounted for aspects in the constraint derivation for such theories, that qualitatively alter the resulting constraints. In order to ensure our conclusions are robust, we compare results for three different parametrizations of the free functions in Horndeski scalar-tensor theories, identifying several parametrization-independent features of the constraints. We also consider models, where cGW≠c in cosmological settings (still allowed after GW170817 for frequency-dependent cGW) and show how this affects cosmological parameter constraints.