Stationary Scalar Clouds Research Articles

Stationary scalar clouds around Kerr-Newman black holes

Abstract This study investigates scalar clouds around Kerr-Newman black holes within the Einstein-Maxwell-scalar model. Tachyonic instabilities are identified as the driving mechanism for scalar cloud formation. Employing the spectral method, we numerically compute wave functions and parameter space existence domains for both fundamental and excited scalar cloud modes. Our analysis demonstrates that black hole spin imposes an upper limit on the existence of scalar clouds, with excited modes requiring stronger tachyonic instabilities for their formation. These findings lay the groundwork for exploring the nonlinear dynamics and astrophysical implications of scalar clouds.

Quasinormal modes, quasibound states, scalar clouds, and superradiant instabilities of a Kerr-like black hole

We use the continued fraction method to determine the eigenfrequencies associated with a scalar field around a Kerr-like black hole. The Kerr-like metric considered in this article is a subclass of the general parametrization of axisymmetric black holes proposed by Konoplya, Rezzolla and Zhidenko. In addition to its mass $M$ and specific angular momentum $a$, the black hole depends on a third parameter $\eta$, called the deformation parameter. We investigate how the deformation parameter affects the quasinormal modes and the quasibound states of a massive scalar field around the black hole. In particular, we compute the time scales associated with the superradiant instabilities of the scalar field in such a spacetime. The properties of stationary scalar clouds that could be formed by these instabilities are also discussed.

Stationary scalar clouds supported by rapidly-rotating acoustic black holes in a photon-fluid model

It has recently been proved that, in the presence of vortex flows, the fluctuation dynamics of a rotating photon-fluid model is governed by the Klein-Gordon equation of an effective massive scalar field in a $(2+1)$-dimensional acoustic black-hole spacetime. Interestingly, it has been demonstrated numerically that the rotating acoustic black hole, like the familiar Kerr black-hole spacetime, may support spatially regular stationary density fluctuations (linearized acoustic scalar `clouds') in its exterior regions. In particular, it has been shown that the composed rotating-acoustic-black-hole-stationary-scalar-field configurations of the photon-fluid model exist in the narrow dimensionless regime $\alpha\equiv\Omega_0/m\Omega_{\text{H}}\in(1,\alpha_{\text{max}})$ with $\alpha_{\text{max}}\simeq 1.08$ [here $\Omega_{\text{H}}$ is the angular velocity of the black-hole horizon and $\{\Omega_0,m\}$ are respectively the effective proper mass and the azimuthal harmonic index of the acoustic scalar field]. In the present paper we use analytical techniques in order to explore the physical and mathematical properties of the acoustic scalar clouds of the photon-fluid model in the regime $\Omega_{\text{H}}r_{\text{H}}\gg1$ of rapidly-spinning central supporting acoustic black holes. In particular, we derive a remarkably compact analytical formula for the discrete resonance spectrum $\{\Omega_0(\Omega_{\text{H}},m;n)\}$ which characterizes the stationary bound-state acoustic scalar clouds of the photon-fluid model. Interestingly, it is proved that the critical (maximal) mass parameter $\alpha_{\text{max}}$, which determines the regime of existence of the composed acoustic-black-hole-stationary-bound-state-massive-scalar-field configurations, is given by the exact dimensionless relation $\alpha_{\text{max}}=\sqrt{{{32}\over{27}}}$.

Acoustic black-hole bombs and scalar clouds in a photon-fluid model

Massive bosonic fields in the background of a Kerr black hole can either trigger superradiant instabilities (black-hole bombs) or form equilibrium configurations corresponding to pure bound states, known as stationary scalar clouds. Here, similar phenomena are shown to emerge in the fluctuation dynamics of a rotating photon-fluid model. In the presence of suitable vortex flows, the density fluctuations are governed by the massive Klein-Gordon equation on a ($2+1$) curved spacetime, possessing an ergoregion and an event horizon. We report on superradiant instabilities originating from quasibound phonon states trapped by the vortex background and, remarkably, on the existence of stationary modes in synchronous rotation with the horizon. These represent the acoustic counterpart of astrophysical scalar clouds. Our system offers a promising platform for analogue gravity experiments on superradiant instabilities of massive bosons and black-hole-field equilibrium configurations.

Stationary scalar and vector clouds around Kerr–Newman black holes

Massive bosons in the vicinity of Kerr–Newman black holes can form pure bound states when their phase angular velocity fulfills the synchronization condition, i.e. at the threshold of superradiance. The presence of these stationary clouds at the linear level is intimately linked to the existence of Kerr black holes with synchronized hair at the nonlinear level. These configurations are very similar to the atomic orbitals of the electron in a hydrogen atom. They can be labeled by four quantum numbers: [Formula: see text], the number of nodes in the radial direction; [Formula: see text], the orbital angular momentum; [Formula: see text], the total angular momentum; and [Formula: see text], the azimuthal total angular momentum. These synchronized configurations are solely allowed for particular values of the black holes mass, angular momentum and electric charge. Such quantization results in an existence surface in the three-dimensional parameter space of Kerr–Newman black holes. The phenomenology of stationary scalar clouds has been widely addressed over the last years. However, there is a gap in the literature concerning their vector cousins. Following the separability of the Proca equation in Kerr(–Newman) spacetime, this paper explores and compares scalar and vector stationary clouds around Kerr and Kerr–Newman black holes, extending previous research.

Stationary scalar clouds outside charged reflecting compact stars

Recently, Hod showed that neutral stationary scalar field clouds can exist outside neutral reflecting compact stars. In the present paper, we extend the discussion by considering charged stationary scalar fields in the background of charged reflecting compact stars. If stationary scalar clouds exist, we analytically show that the field frequency belongs to an interval. For certain discrete field frequency values in the interval, we obtain numerical solutions of scalar field clouds. We also study effects of model parameters on discrete frequency.

Kerr-MOG black holes with stationary scalar clouds

We establish the existence of stationary clouds of massive test scalar fields around Kerr-MOG black holes. By solving the Klein–Gordon equation numerically, we present the existence lines of the clouds in the parameter space of the Kerr-MOG black holes, and investigate the effect of the MOG parameter on the rich structure of scalar clouds. We observe that the MOG parameter leads to the split of the existence lines for the scalar clouds, and the larger MOG parameter makes it possible for the clouds to exist in the case of the lower background angular velocity. Numerical results are compared with the analytical formula obtained by an asymptotic matching method, and we find that both results are consistent with each other. In particular, it is shown that the larger MOG parameter, the better agreement between analytical and numerical results. This implies that the matching method is a powerful analytical tool to investigate the scalar clouds existing in the Kerr-MOG black holes. Moreover, we obtain the location of the existence lines and show that the clouds are concentrated at the larger radial position for the Kerr-MOG black holes when compared to the Kerr black holes.

Skyrmions around Kerr black holes and spinning BHs with Skyrme hair

We study solutions of the Einstein-Skyrme model. Firstly we consider test field Skyrmions on the Kerr background. These configurations — hereafter dubbed Skerrmions — can be in equilibrium with a Kerr black hole (BH) by virtue of a synchronisation condition. We consider two sectors for Skerrmions. In the sector with non-zero baryon charge, Skerrmions are akin to the known Skyrme solutions on the Schwarzschild background. These “topological” configurations reduce to flat spacetime Skyrmions in a vanishing BH mass limit; moreoever, they never become “small” perturbations on the Kerr background: the non-linearities of the Skyrme model are crucial for all such Skerrmions. In the non-topological sector, on the other hand, Skerrmions have no analogue on the Schwarzschild background. Non-topological Skerrmions carry not baryon charge and bifurcate from a subset of Kerr solutions defining an existence line. Therein the appropriate truncation of the Skyrme model yield a linear scalar field theory containing a complex plus a real field, both massive and decoupled, and the Skerrmions reduce to the known stationary scalar clouds around Kerr BHs. Moreover, non-topological Skerrmions trivialise in the vanishing BH mass limit. We then discuss the backreaction of these Skerrmions, that yield rotating BHs with synchronised Skyrme hair, which continously connect to the Kerr solution (self-gravitating Skyrmions) in the non-topological (topological) sector. In particular, the non-topological hairy BHs provide a non-linear realisation, within the Skyrme model, of the synchronous stationary scalar clouds around Kerr.

Stationary scalar clouds around a BTZ black hole

We establish the existence of stationary clouds of massive test scalar fields around BTZ black holes. These clouds are zero-modes of the superradiant instability and are possible when Robin boundary conditions (RBCs) are considered at the AdS boundary. These boundary conditions are the most general ones that ensure the AdS space is an isolated system, and include, as a particular case, the commonly considered Dirichlet or Neumann-type boundary conditions (DBCs or NBCs). We obtain an explicit, closed form, resonance condition, relating the RBCs that allow the existence of normalizable (and regular on and outside the horizon) clouds to the system's parameters. Such RBCs never include pure DBCs or NBCs. We illustrate the spatial distribution of these clouds, their energy and angular momentum density for some cases. Our results show that BTZ black holes with scalar hair can be constructed, as the non-linear realization of these clouds.

Stationary scalar clouds around maximally rotating linear dilaton black holes

We investigate the wave dynamics of a charged massive scalar field propagating in a maximally rotating (extremal) linear dilaton black hole geometry. We prove the existence of a discrete and infinite family of resonances describing non-decaying stationary scalar configurations (clouds) enclosing these rapidly rotating black holes. The results obtained signal the potential stationary scalar field distributions (dark matter) around the extremal linear dilaton black holes. In particular, we analytically compute the effective heights of those clouds above the center of the black hole.

Stationary charged scalar clouds around black holes in string theory

It was reported that Kerr-Newman black holes can support linear charged scalar fields in their exterior regions. These stationary massive charged scalar fields can form bound states, which are called stationary scalar clouds. In this paper, we show that Kerr-Sen black holes can also support stationary massive charged scalar clouds by matching the near- and far-region solutions of the radial part of the Klein-Gordon wave equation. We also review stationary scalar clouds within the background of static electrically charged black hole solutions in the low-energy limit of heterotic string field theory, namely, the Gibbons-Maeda-Garfinkle-Horowitz-Strominger black holes.

Erratum: Stationary scalar clouds around rotating black holes [Phys. Rev. D86, 104026 (2012)

Erratum: Stationary scalar clouds around rotating black holes [Phys. Rev. D<b>86</b>, 104026 (2012)

Stationary scalar clouds around rotating black holes

Motivated by novel results in the theory of wave dynamics in black-hole spacetimes, we analyze the dynamics of a massive scalar field surrounding a rapidly rotating Kerr black hole. In particular, we report on the existence of stationary (infinitely long-lived) regular field configurations in the background of maximally rotating black holes. The effective height of these scalar ``clouds'' above the central black hole is determined analytically. Our results support the possible existence of stationary scalar field dark matter distributions surrounding rapidly rotating black holes.