PIRSA:24020089

Probing black-hole uniqueness on supermassive scales

Held, A. (2024). Probing black-hole uniqueness on supermassive scales. Perimeter Institute. https://pirsa.org/24020089

Held, Aaron. Probing black-hole uniqueness on supermassive scales. Perimeter Institute, Feb. 22, 2024, https://pirsa.org/24020089 

          @misc{ pirsa_PIRSA:24020089,
            doi = {10.48660/24020089},
            url = {https://pirsa.org/24020089},
            author = {Held, Aaron},
            keywords = {Strong Gravity},
            language = {en},
            title = {Probing black-hole uniqueness on supermassive scales},
            publisher = {Perimeter Institute},
            year = {2024},
            month = {feb},
            note = {PIRSA:24020089 see, \url{https://pirsa.org}}
          }

Aaron Held

École Normale Supérieure - PSL

Talk number
PIRSA:24020089
Collection
Talk Type
Subject
Abstract

To set the stage, I discuss different assumptions about physics beyond GR and resulting expectations about where to look for the breakdown of the Kerr paradigm. In particular, I present counterexamples to the prevailing expectation that deviations from GR are necessarily tied to local curvature scales. This provides a motivation to probe for a potential breakdown of black-hole uniqueness, not just for solar-mass but also for supermassive black holes. I will then focus on how to leverage VLBI observations of light emitted in the accretion disk to probe the stationary and axisymmetric background spacetime. I will detail different assumptions about additional hidden symmetries of the spacetime and how to then systematically parameterize deviations. Within such a parametrization, I will demonstrate a systematic lensing-band framework to exclude spacetimes for which an observed VLBI feature cannot arise from geodesics that traversed the equatorial plane more than once. If time permits, I will also address complimentary tests with solar-mass binaries and possible pathways to achieve stable nonlinear evolution.

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