Aharonov-Bohm protection of black hole's baryon/skyrmion hair

TL;DR

This paper proposes a quantum topological mechanism, using Aharonov-Bohm effects, to protect baryon/skyrmion charge in black holes, suggesting baryon number can resurface as classical hair after black hole evaporation.

Contribution

It introduces a novel topological protection mechanism for baryon/skyrmion charge in black holes via Aharonov-Bohm phases, linking quantum effects to classical hair.

Findings

Baryon/skyrmion number can be measured by an Aharonov-Bohm phase.

Black holes can preserve baryon number through topological skyrmion hair.

Baryon number may re-emerge as classical hair after black hole evaporation.

Abstract

The baryon/skyrmion correspondence implies that the baryon number is encoded into a topological surface integral. Under certain conditions that we clarify, this surface integral can be measured by an asymptotic observer in form of an Aharonov-Bohm phase-shift in an experiment in which the skyrmion passes through a loop of a probe string. In such a setup the baryon/skyrmion number must be respected by black holes, despite the fact that it produces no long-range classical field. If initially swallowed by a black hole, the baryon number must resurface in form of a classical skyrmion hair, after the black hole evaporates below a certain critical size. Needless to say, the respect of the baryon number by black holes is expected to have potentially-interesting astrophysical consequences.