Iron line spectroscopy of black holes in asymptotically safe gravity

TL;DR

This paper investigates whether iron line spectroscopy can distinguish black holes in asymptotically safe gravity from those in Einstein's gravity, finding current data insufficient but leaving open future possibilities.

Contribution

It provides the first analysis of iron line shapes around black holes in asymptotically safe gravity and assesses their detectability with current and future X-ray missions.

Findings

Current X-ray data cannot differentiate the two gravity models.

Future high-quality data may potentially distinguish them, but the simplified model limits conclusions.

The study highlights the need for more detailed modeling for conclusive tests.

Abstract

We study the iron line shape expected in the reflection spectrum of accretion disks around black holes in asymptotically safe gravity. We compare the results of our simulations with the iron line shapes expected in the reflection spectrum of accretion disks around Kerr black holes to see if the technique of iron line spectroscopy can be used as a tool to test asymptotically safe gravity. Our analysis shows that current X-ray facilities are surely unable to distinguish black holes in asymptotically safe gravity from black holes in Einstein's gravity. In the case of the next generation of X-ray missions, which promise to provide unprecedented high quality data, the question remains open because it cannot be addressed within our simplified model.