This work investigates the physical properties of static and spherically symmetric traversable wormholes in the context of modified f(R, T) gravity, using the model f(R, T) = R + αR 2 + λT. The energy conditions are analyzed, and we find a throat region with positive energy density but negative radial NEC (ρ + P r 0 and ρ + P t > 0 while the DEC is violated shows that the exoticity is directional and can largely be attributed to the curvature–matter coupling and the higher-order curvature term. In particular, αR 2 (with α > 0) contributes positive effective energy density and helps satisfy transverse conditions, whereas a sufficient negative λ supplies the radial tension necessary to sustain the throat. The Volume Integral Quantifier (VIQ) is slightly negative near the throat r 0 but positive for r > r c ≈ 3.72r 0 , indicating that there is no large or extended reservoir of exoticity making this wormhole solution more physically acceptable than ones with large or extended NEC violation. Further, stability analysis with the modified TOV equation indicates that it is stable in equilibrium under gravitational, hydrostatic, and anisotropic pressures. These findings indicate that a traversable wormhole with exotic matter that violates the NEC may be possible, and thus, is consistent with physically plausible conditions. Further, a shapefunction analysis shows that acceptable traversable wormhole geometries are supported in the anisotropic case, while the isotropic case does not satisfy the required flare-out and asymptotic-flatness conditions.
Soibam et al. (Wed,) studied this question.