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Two Spinning Black Holes Balanced by Their Synchronized Scalar Hair
Carlos A R Herdeiro1, Eugen Radu1
1Departamento de Matemática da Universidade de Aveiro and CIDMA, Campus de Santiago, 3810-183 Aveiro, Portugal.
Physical Review Letters
|October 6, 2023
Summary
Researchers discovered stable configurations of two spinning black holes (2sBHs) in equilibrium, defying gravitational attraction through a unique scalar field interaction. These airborne black holes offer new insights into general relativity and exotic astrophysical phenomena.
Area of Science:
- Theoretical physics
- General relativity
- Black hole physics
Background:
- Black holes are typically considered isolated objects or part of dynamic systems.
- Stable equilibrium configurations of multiple black holes are theoretically challenging due to gravitational attraction.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the existence and properties of stable, non-singular configurations of two spinning black holes (2sBHs) in equilibrium.
- To explore the role of a complex scalar field in mediating black hole interactions.
Main Methods:
- Solving Einstein's field equations for general relativity minimally coupled to a massive, free, complex scalar field.
- Analyzing asymptotically flat solutions that are non-singular on and outside the event horizon.
- Utilizing test particle analysis and Newtonian analogs to diagnose equilibrium points.
Main Results:
- Identified stable, equilibrium solutions for two spinning black holes with coaxial, aligned angular momenta.
- Demonstrated that these 2sBHs configurations emerge from dipolar spinning boson star solutions.
- Showed that the scalar field environment acts as a dipolar field, counteracting gravitational attraction and rendering the 2sBHs 'airborne'.
Conclusions:
- General relativity with a complex scalar field allows for novel, stable multi-black hole configurations.
- The scalar field provides a repulsive mechanism, enabling black holes to exist in equilibrium.
- These findings expand the theoretical landscape of black hole solutions and their potential interactions.
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