Exponential fading to white of black holes in quantum gravity

DOI: 
10.1088/1361-6382/aa6962
Publication date: 
01/05/2017
Main author: 
Barceló, Carlos
IAA authors: 
Barceló, Carlos;Carballo-Rubio, Raúl
Authors: 
Barceló, Carlos;Carballo-Rubio, Raúl;Garay, Luis J.
Journal: 
Classical and Quantum Gravity
Publication type: 
Article
Volume: 
34
Pages: 
105007
Abstract: 
Quantization of the gravitational field may allow the existence of a decay channel of black holes into white holes with an explicit time-reversal symmetry. The definition of a meaningful decay probability for this channel is studied in spherically symmetric situations. As a first nontrivial calculation, we present the functional integration over a set of geometries using a single-variable function to interpolate between black-hole and white-hole geometries in a bounded region of spacetime. This computation gives a finite result which depends only on the Schwarzschild mass and a parameter measuring the width of the interpolating region. The associated probability distribution displays an exponential decay law on the latter parameter, with a mean lifetime inversely proportional to the Schwarzschild mass. In physical terms this would imply that matter collapsing to a black hole from a finite radius bounces back elastically and instantaneously, with negligible time delay as measured by external observers. These results invite to reconsider the ultimate nature of astrophysical black holes, providing a possible mechanism for the formation of black stars instead of proper general relativistic black holes. The existence of both this decay channel and black stars can be tested in future observations of gravitational waves.
Database: 
ADS
SCOPUS
URL: 
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85018987344&doi=10.1088%2f1361-6382%2faa6962&partnerID=40&md5=b2848c8194bda8eec17be4d3cbfe4c13
ADS Bibcode: 
2017CQGra..34j5007B