Probing the Effective Quantum Gravity via Quasinormal Modes and Shadows of Black Holes

Abstract

Two quantum-corrected black hole models have recently been proposed within the Hamiltonian constraints approach to quantum gravity, maintaining general covariance \cite{Zhang:2024khj}. We have studied the quasinormal spectra of these black holes using four methods: the higher-order WKB approach with Pad\'e approximants, time-domain integration, Frobenius, and pseudospectral methods. The Frobenius method, in particular, allows us to determine precise values of the frequencies, including the overtones. The two models differ in their choice of quantum parameter $\xi$, and we can distinguish them by their quasinormal spectra. In the first model, increasing the quantum parameter results in higher real oscillation frequencies and damping rates of the fundamental mode. In contrast, the second model shows a decrease in the oscillation frequency of the least-damped mode when the quantum parameter is introduced. We have shown that, while the fundamental mode changes relatively gradually with the quantum parameter, the first few overtones deviate from their Schwarzschild limits at an increasing rate. This results in a qualitatively new behavior: the real parts of the frequencies of the first and higher overtones tend to zero as the quantum parameter increases. In addition to the branch of modes that are perturbative in the quantum parameter, we observe some non-perturbative modes at moderate values of the quantum parameter. Additionally, we have calculated the radii of the shadows cast by these black holes and discussed possible constraints based on observations of Sgt $A^*$. As a byproduct, we tested the method of calculating quasinormal modes of this kind based on a recent agnostic parametrization and showed that while the parametrized formalism could be used for estimating the fundamental mode at small values of the coupling, it is insufficient even for the lowest overtones.