Chern-Simons modified gravity comprises the Einstein-Hilbert action and a higher-derivative interaction containing the Chern-Pontryagin density. We derive the analog of the Gibbons-Hawking-York boundary term required to render the Dirichlet boundary-value problem well defined. It turns out to be a boundary Chern-Simons action for the extrinsic curvature. We address applications to black hole thermodynamics.

• Received 13 March 2008

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.78.081502