Abstract
According to the no-hair theorem, astrophysical black holes are uniquely described by their mass and spin. In this paper, we review a new framework for testing the no-hair hypothesis with observations in the electromagnetic spectrum. The approach is formulated in terms of a Kerr-like spacetime containing a quadrupole moment that is independent of both mass and spin. If the no-hair theorem is correct, then any deviation from the Kerr metric quadrupole has to be zero. We show how upcoming VLBI imaging observations of Sgr A as well as spectroscopic observations of iron lines from accreting black holes with IXO may lead to the first astrophysical test of the no-hair theorem.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 528-532 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | Advances in Space Research |
Volume | 47 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs |
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State | Published - Feb 1 2011 |
Keywords
- Accretion, accretion disks
- Black hole physics
- Galaxy: center
- Gravitation
- Gravitational lensing: strong
- Line: profiles
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Aerospace Engineering
- Astronomy and Astrophysics
- Geophysics
- Atmospheric Science
- Space and Planetary Science
- General Earth and Planetary Sciences