Observational signature of a near-extremal Kerr-Sen black hole in the heterotic string theory

TL;DR

This paper analyzes how the optical appearance of matter orbiting near a near-extremal Kerr-Sen black hole differs from other black holes, highlighting potential observational signatures for future telescope tests.

Contribution

It provides an analytical comparison of the optical signatures of Kerr-Sen and Kerr-Newman black holes, emphasizing the effects of charge in heterotic string theory.

Findings

Quantitative corrections in image position, flux, and redshift due to black hole charge.

Distinctive observational features of Kerr-Sen black holes compared to Kerr and Kerr-Newman.

Potential for future observational tests with the Event Horizon Telescope.

Abstract

We analytically study the optical appearance of an isotropically emitter orbiting near the horizon of a near-extremely rotating Kerr-Sen (KS) black hole which is an electrically charged black hole arising in heterotic string theory. We study the influence of the Sen charge on the observational quantities, including the image position, flux and redshift factor. Moreover, we compare the results with those for a near-extremal Kerr-Newman (KN) black hole, which is the charged rotating black hole in general relativity. We find quantitative corrections of the signatures of these charged black holes (both KS and KN) compare to that of a neutral Kerr black hole. This may serve as distinctive features of different black holes for future tests by the Event Horizon Telescope.