Higher Dimensional Static and Spherically Symmetric Solutions in Extended Gauss–Bonnet Gravity

Abstract

We study a theory of gravity of the form f ( G ) where G is the Gauss–Bonnet topological invariant without considering the standard Einstein–Hilbert term as common in the literature, in arbitrary ( d + 1 ) dimensions. The approach is motivated by the fact that, in particular conditions, the Ricci curvature scalar can be easily recovered and then a pure f ( G ) gravity can be considered a further generalization of General Relativity like f ( R ) gravity. Searching for Noether symmetries, we specify the functional forms invariant under point transformations in a static and spherically symmetric spacetime and, with the help of these symmetries, we find exact solutions showing that Gauss–Bonnet gravity is significant without assuming the Ricci scalar in the action.