Testing the No-Hair Theorem with Observations of Black Holes in the Electromagnetic Spectrum

Abstract

According to the no-hair theorem, astrophysical black holes are uniquely described by their mass and spin. In this paper, we review a new framework for testing the no-hair hypothesis with observations in the electromagnetic spectrum. The approach is formulated in terms of a Kerr-like spacetime containing a quadrupole moment that is independent of both mass and spin. If the no-hair theorem is correct, then any deviation from the Kerr metric quadrupole has to be zero. We show how upcoming VLBI imaging observations of Sgr A* as well as spectroscopic observations of iron lines from accreting black holes with IXO may lead to the first astrophysical test of the no-hair theorem.

5 pages, 3 figures, to appear in Adv. Space Res., Proc. COSPAR 2010

References in corpus (75)

• The Confrontation between General Relativity and Experiment
• The Galactic Center Massive Black Hole and Nuclear Star Cluster
• Event-horizon-scale structure in the supermassive black hole candidate at the Galactic Centre
• Relativistic images of Schwarzschild black hole lensing
• Jet Launching Structure Resolved Near the Supermassive Black Hole in M87
• Time delay and magnification centroid due to gravitational lensing by black holes and naked singularities
• A massive binary black-hole system in OJ287 and a test of general relativity
• Testing the No-Hair Theorem with Observations in the Electromagnetic Spectrum: II. Black-Hole Images
• Black holes in scalar-tensor gravity
• Relativistic X-ray Lines from the Inner Accretion Disks Around Black Holes
• A Metric for Rapidly Spinning Black Holes Suitable for Strong-Field Tests of the No-Hair Theorem
• Dynamical Chern-Simons Modified Gravity I: Spinning Black Holes in the Slow-Rotation Approximation
• Shadow of a rotating braneworld black hole
• A gas cloud on its way towards the super-massive black hole in the Galactic Centre
• Null geodesics and shadow of a rotating black hole in extended Chern-Simons modified gravity
• Suzaku observations of 'bare' active galactic nuclei
• Using LISA EMRI sources to test off-Kerr deviations in the geometry of massive black holes
• The Constant Inner-Disk Radius of LMC X-3: A Basis for Measuring Black Hole Spin
• Testing the general relativistic ''no-hair'' theorems using the galactic center black hole SgrA*
• Non-Spinning Black Holes in Alternative Theories of Gravity
• The Shortest Known Period Star Orbiting our Galaxy's Supermassive Black Hole
• Slowly Rotating Black Holes in Dynamical Chern-Simons Gravity: Deformation Quadratic in the Spin
• Fate of gravitational collapse in semiclassical gravity
• The Spin of the Supermassive Black Hole in NGC 3783
• The Spin of the Black Hole Microquasar XTE J1550-564 via the Continuum-Fitting and Fe-Line Methods
• Broad iron K-alpha emission lines as a diagnostic of black hole spin
• Slowly rotating black holes in alternative theories of gravity
• Prospects for Probing the Spacetime of Sgr A* with Pulsars
• Flaring Activity of Sgr A* at 43 and 22 GHz: Evidence for Expanding Hot Plasma
• Bumpy Black Holes in Alternate Theories of Gravity
• A Determination of the Spin of the Black Hole Primary in LMC X-1
• Observable Properties of Orbits in Exact Bumpy Spacetimes
• The Distance, Inclination, and Spin of the Black Hole Microquasar H1743-322
• Kerr black hole lensing for generic observers in the strong deflection limit
• Thin accretion disks in f(R) modified gravity models
• Stellar Models with Enhanced Abundances of C, N, O, Ne, Na, Mg, Si, S, Ca, and Ti, in Turn, at Constant Helium and Iron Abundances
• Kerr Black Holes are Not Unique to General Relativity
• Testing the space-time geometry around black hole candidates with the analysis of the broad K$\alpha$ iron line
• Testing the No-Hair Theorem with Observations in the Electromagnetic Spectrum. III. Quasi-Periodic Variability
• Testing the No-Hair Theorem with Observations in the Electromagnetic Spectrum. IV. Relativistically Broadened Iron Lines
• Testing Hořava-Lifshitz gravity using thin accretion disk properties
• A polarised infrared flare from Sagittarius A* and the signatures of orbiting plasma hotspots
• Long XMM observation of the Narrow-Line Seyfert 1 galaxy IRAS13224-3809: rapid variability, high spin and a soft lag
• Black holes, quantum information, and unitary evolution
• A Ray-Tracing Algorithm for Spinning Compact Object Spacetimes with Arbitrary Quadrupole Moments. I. Quasi-Kerr Black Holes
• New Constraint on Scalar Gauss-Bonnet Gravity and a Possible Explanation for the Excess of the Orbital Decay Rate in a Low-Mass X-ray Binary
• How to observe a non-Kerr spacetime
• Multiwavelength Constraints on Pulsar Populations in the Galactic Center
• A 200-s Quasi-Periodicity Following the Tidal Disruption of a Star by a Dormant Black Hole
• The origin of the lag spectra observed in AGN: Reverberation and the propagation of X-ray source fluctuations
• Near-infrared polarimetry setting constraints on the orbiting spot model for Sgr A* flares
• Simulations of the Origin and Fate of the Galactic Center Cloud G2
• Models for unitary black hole disintegration
• Perturbed stellar motions around the rotating black hole in Sgr A* for a generic orientation of its spin axis
• Accretion-Ejection Instability, MHD Rossby Wave Instability, diskoseismology, and the high-frequency QPO of microquasars
• K-band polarimetry of an Sgr A* flare with a clear sub-flare structure
• Multi-epoch X-ray observations of the Seyfert 1.2 galaxy Mrk 79: bulk motion of the illuminating X-ray source
• Pulsar-Black Hole Binaries in the Galactic Center
• A Broad Iron Line in LMC X-1
• Multi-state observations of the Galactic Black Hole XTE J1752-223: Evidence for an intermediate black hole spin
• A 6.5-GHz Multibeam Pulsar Survey
• The Progenitor Mass of SN 2011dh from Stellar Populations Analysis
• Constraining the Structure of Sagittarius A*'s Accretion Flow with Millimeter-VLBI Closure Phases
• Testing black hole no-hair theorem with OJ287
• Long-term classical and general relativistic effects on the radial velocities of the stars orbiting Sgr A*
• A generalization of Ryan's theorem: probing tidal coupling with gravitational waves from nearly circular, nearly equatorial, extreme-mass-ratio inspirals
• Periodic Modulations in an X-ray Flare from Sagittarius A*
• Constraint on the quadrupole moment of super-massive black hole candidates from the estimate of the mean radiative efficiency of AGN
• Diskoseismology and QPOs Confront Black Hole Spin
• Observing gravitational lensing effects by Sgr A* with GRAVITY
• (Sort of) Testing relativity with extreme mass ratio inspirals
• Using Millimeter VLBI to Constrain RIAF Models of Sagittarius A*
• General Relativistic Flux Modulations from Disk Instabilities in Sagittarius A*
• Fuzzballs and the information paradox: a summary and conjectures
• Constraints on Braneworld Gravity Models from a Kinematic Limit on the Age of the Black Hole XTE J1118+480

Cited by in corpus (37)

• A Metric for Rapidly Spinning Black Holes Suitable for Strong-Field Tests of the No-Hair Theorem
• Regular Black Hole Metric with Three Constants of Motion
• Testing the space-time geometry around black hole candidates with the analysis of the broad K$\alpha$ iron line
• Tests of Loop Quantum Gravity from the Event Horizon Telescope Results of Sgr A${}^{\ast }$
• Testing the No-Hair Theorem with Observations in the Electromagnetic Spectrum. III. Quasi-Periodic Variability
• The Milky Way's Supermassive Black Hole: How good a case is it? A Challenge for Astrophysics & Philosophy of Science
• Asymptotic safety casts its shadow
• Image of the Janis-Newman-Winicour naked singularity with a thin accretion disk
• On the shadow of rotating traversable wormholes
• Systematic Study of Event Horizons and Pathologies of Parametrically Deformed Kerr Spacetimes
• The Event Horizon Telescope: exploring strong gravity and accretion physics
• Inside black holes with synchronized hair
• The non-integrability of the Zipoy-Voorhees metric
• Absorption of electromagnetic and gravitational waves by Kerr black holes: Shadows, superradiance and the spin-helicity effect
• Strong gravitational lensing by a rotating non-Kerr compact object
• Investigating effects of dark matter on photon orbits and black hole shadows
• Unique probe of dark matter in the core of M87 with the Event Horizon Telescope
• Strong Gravitational Lensing by Sgr A*
• A Symmetric Integrator for non-integrable Hamiltonian Relativistic Systems
• Properties of a thin accretion disk around a rotating non-Kerr black hole
• Superradiance in Kerr-like black holes
• Testing the No-Hair Theorem with Sgr A*
• NUT charges and black hole shadows
• Testing modified gravity and no-hair relations for the Kerr-Newman metric through quasi-periodic oscillations of galactic microquasars
• Polarimetric signatures of the photon ring of a black hole that is pierced by a cosmic axion string
• Testing No-Hair Theorem by Quasi-Periodic Oscillations: the quadrupole of GRO J1655$-$40
• Inner Accretion Disk Edges in a Kerr-Like Spacetime
• Strong Gravitational Lensing of Quasi-Kerr Compact Object with Arbitrary Quadrupole Moments
• Gravitational wave detection from OJ 287 via a pulsar timing array
• Generalized no-hair theorems without horizons
• Strong-field gravitational lensing by black holes
• Testing Ghasemi-Nodehi-Bambi metric parameters with quasi-periodic oscillations
• Mind the Resonances: Final stages of accretion into bumpy black holes
• Testing Ghasemi-Nodehi-Bambi spacetime with continuum-fitting method
• Probing Fundamental Physics with Gravitational Waves
• Iron line reverberation mapping in Ghasemi-Nodehi-Bambi background
• Using Simulations of Black Holes to Study General Relativity and the Properties of Inner Accretion Flow