Observational Signatures of Traversable Wormholes

TL;DR

This paper investigates the observational signatures of traversable wormholes, revealing how their images and light curves differ from black holes depending on source and observer positions, aiding potential astrophysical identification.

Contribution

It introduces new observational features of traversable wormholes, especially when sources are on opposite sides, distinguishing them from black holes in astronomical data.

Findings

Wormhole images mimic black holes when sources and observers are on the same side.

Distinct signatures appear when sources are on the opposite side, such as confined images and smaller centroid shifts.

Hot spot light curves can show additional peaks, unlike black hole signatures.

Abstract

In this paper, we study the observational signatures of traversable Simpson-Visser wormholes illuminated by luminous celestial spheres and orbiting hot spots. We demonstrate that when light sources and observers are on the same side of the wormholes, the images of the wormholes mimic those of black holes. However, when the light sources are positioned on the opposite side from observers, photons traversing the wormhole throat generate distinct observational signatures. Specifically, unlike black hole images, the wormhole images are confined within the critical curve, resulting in smaller centroid variations. Furthermore, the light curve of hot spots can exhibit additional peaks.