Universal signatures of singularity-resolving physics in photon rings of black holes and horizonless objects

Abstract

Within quantum-gravity approaches and beyond, different mechanisms for singularity resolution in black holes exist. Under a set of assumptions that we spell out in detail, these mechanisms leave their imprint in shadow images of spherically symmetric black holes. We find that even current EHT accuracy is sufficient to place nontrivial constraints on the scale of new physics within one modified spacetime, if the EHT measurement of M87* is combined with an independent measurement of the black-hole mass. In other spacetimes, increased accuracy is required that the next-generation EHT may deliver. We show how the combination of $n=1$ and $n=2$ photon rings is a powerful probe of the spacetime geometry of regular black holes, even when considering astrophysical uncertainties in accretion disks. Further, we generate images containing a localized emission region, inspired by the idea of hotspots in accretion flows. Finally, we investigate the photon-ring structure of a horizonless object, which is characterized by either two or no photon spheres. We show how photon rings annihilate each other, when there is no photon sphere in the spacetime.

26 pages + appendix; 12 figures

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