Regge pole description of scattering by dirty black holes

TL;DR

This paper investigates scalar wave scattering by a Schwarzschild black hole surrounded by a thin shell, revealing complex Regge pole structures and their influence on scattering phenomena through a complex angular momentum approach.

Contribution

It introduces a detailed analysis of Regge poles in dirty black hole spacetimes, identifying multiple pole branches and their relation to scattering features, advancing understanding of wave interactions with such objects.

Findings

Multiple Regge pole branches identified, including surface waves and resonances.

Shell configuration influences the position of broad resonances.

Good agreement between Regge pole and partial-wave scattering calculations.

Abstract

We study the problem of plane monochromatic scalar waves impinging upon a Schwarzschild dirty black hole -- a Schwarzschild black hole surrounded by a thin spherical shell of matter -- using the complex angular momentum approach. We first recall general results concerning the differential scattering cross section in the classical limit through a null geodesic analysis by exploring different configurations of the shell. In particular, we show that dirty black hole spacetimes may exhibit various critical effects for geometrical optics. We compute the Regge pole spectrum for various shell configurations and show that it exhibits two or three distinct branches of poles, labelled inner surface waves, broad resonances and outer surface waves. In the latter, two sub-families have been identified, the surface waves associated with the outer light-ring and the creeping modes associated with the surface of the shell. We show, using WKB analysis, that the position of the shell sets the real part of the broad resonances while its energy-momentum and the discontinuity of the potential at the shell's surface set their imaginary part. Next, we provide the complex angular momentum representation of the differential scattering cross section and examine the role of the different Regge pole branches. We compute the differential scattering cross section for various configurations at several frequencies and show a very good agreement with the partial-wave calculations. Finally, we highlight the role of the critical effects, i.e., orbiting, glory, grazing and rainbow scattering, and their impact on the differential scattering cross section.