Dynamical transitions in scalarization and descalarization through black hole accretion

TL;DR

This paper investigates the nonlinear dynamics of scalar field accretion onto black holes in anti-de Sitter space, revealing critical phenomena and mechanisms for scalarization and descalarization transitions.

Contribution

It provides the first fully nonlinear analysis of scalarization/descalarization transitions in black holes within Einstein-Maxwell-scalar theory.

Findings

Discontinuous transition in scalarization with a metastable black hole as an attractor.

Dynamical descalarization can be either discontinuous or continuous at the threshold.

First demonstration of critical phenomena in black hole descalarization processes.

Abstract

We present the first fully nonlinear study on the accretion of scalar fields onto a seed black hole in anti-de Sitter spacetime in Einstein-Maxwell-scalar theory. Intrinsic critical phenomena in the dynamical transition between the bald and scalarized black holes are disclosed. In scalarizations, the transition is discontinuous and a metastable black hole acts as an attractor at the threshold. We construct a new physical mechanism to dynamically descalarize an isolated scalarized black hole. The first results on critical phenomena in descalarizations are revealed. The dynamical descalarizations can be either discontinuous or continuous at the threshold, distinguished by whether or not an attractor appears.