Gravity with auxiliary fields

Modifications of general relativity usually include extra dynamical degrees of freedom, which to date remain undetected. Here we explore the possibility of modifying Einstein’s theory by adding solely nondynamical fields. With the minimal requirement that the theory satisfies the weak equivalence principle and admits a covariant Lagrangian formulation, we show that the field equations generically have to include higher-order derivatives of the matter fields. This has profound consequences for the viability of these theories. We develop a parametrization based on a derivative expansion and show that—to next-to-leading order—all theories are described by just two parameters. Our approach can be used to put stringent, theory-independent constraints on such theories, as we demonstrate using the Newtonian limit as an example.