Observational signatures from horizonless black shells imitating rotating black holes

TL;DR

This paper investigates horizonless stringy matter shells mimicking rotating black holes, revealing observable differences such as a larger quadrupole moment that could be detected by current and future astronomical observations.

Contribution

It extends previous static black shell models to include rotation, deriving the metric and identifying potential observational signatures distinguishing them from Kerr black holes.

Findings

Rotating black shells have a 32% larger quadrupole moment than Kerr black holes.

Potential observational methods include Event Horizon Telescope imaging and gravitational wave measurements.

Differences in the exterior metric could allow distinguishing black shells from true black holes.

Abstract

In arXiv:1705.10172 it was proposed that string theory replaces Schwarzschild black holes with horizonless thin shells with an AdS interior. In this paper we extend the analysis to slowly rotating black holes, solving the Israel-Lanczos-Sen junction conditions for a rotating shell composed of stringy matter to determine the metric. Outside of the shell we find a vacuum solution that differs from Kerr with a 32% larger quadrupole moment. We discuss the observational consequences and explore the possibility to distinguish between a black shell and a black hole. Promising methods include imaging of the black hole at the center of the Milky Way using the Event Horizon Telescope, precision measurements of stars in close orbits around the central black hole, and future observations of colliding super massive black holes using the space based gravitational wave observatory LISA.