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Eleftherios Papantonopoulos

Publications and source records attributed to Eleftherios Papantonopoulos.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

21-cm Brightness Temperature in a Unified-Dark-Sector Horndeski Theory

We investigate the impact of scalar-tensor theories on the 21cm brightness temperature. We consider a specific model in Horndeski scalar-tensor theory in which dark matter and dark energy in the framework of shift-symmetric generalized Galileon theories was described and an effective unified cosmic fluid was obtained. We calculate the Hubble parameter of the model and we plot the curve of the evolution of the 21-cm temperature in a specific range of the redshift parameter $z$ and compare it to the curve corresponding to $\Lambda$CDM paradigm.

gr-qc

Thermal Stability and QNMs of a Hairy Black Hole in the Presence of a Monopole Field

We study the stability of a generalization of the GHS-GM black hole in the presence of a dilaton and a monopole field. We find that the thermal behaviour of system depends on the scalar charge of the dilaton field and as this parameter is decreasing the system becomes more thermally stable. We also find that, as the charge of the black hole is increasing, both the real and the imaginary parts of the quasi-normal frequencies decrease in absolute value. The overtone modes die out faster than the fundamental modes and no positive imaginary parts appear, indicating the stabilty of the system

gr-qc

Binary Black Hole Coalescence and the Dynamics of Scalar Hair in Einstein-Maxwell-Scalar Theory

We investigate the head-on coalescence of charged binary black holes in Einstein-Maxwell-Scalar (EMS) theory using numerical relativity. The binaries are built from charged puncture initial data representing two Reissner-Nordstr\"om black holes immersed in a purely kinetic scalar perturbation: the scalar field initially vanishes, while its conjugate momentum provides a small seed for the instability. We evolve the coupled gravitational, electromagnetic, and scalar sectors and monitor the apparent horizons, the emitted radiation, and the scalar field on the horizons. Our simulations show that the nonminimal electromagnetic-scalar coupling can dynamically trigger the growth of scalar hair even when the individual black holes are initially scalar-free. The subsequent evolution depends on the coupling strength and on the charge retained by the remnant. For weak coupling, or when charge cancellation suppresses the electromagnetic source after merger, the scalar field is radiated away or absorbed by the final horizon and the system dynamically descalarizes. For sufficiently strong coupling and nonzero remnant charge, the scalar field remains finite and the final black hole approaches a scalarized configuration. The coalescence also excites scalar radiation whose time profile is qualitatively correlated with the dominant gravitational-wave mode during the nonlinear stage of the collision. These results provide a binary realization of scalarization/descalarization transitions in EMS theory and show that the fate of scalar hair is controlled by the interplay between the scalar coupling and the charge content of the remnant.

gr-qc

Observational Tests of Regular Black Holes with Scalar Hair and their Stability

We study the geodesic structure and observable properties of asymptotically flat regular black holes sourced by a phantom scalar field characterized by a scalar charge $A$. This parameter removes the central singularity and continuously deforms the Schwarzschild geometry. The equations of motion for test particles and photons are derived, and the resulting null geodesics are analyzed, including the deflection of light, gravitational time delay, and redshift, in order to constrain $A$ using classical Solar System tests. These observations impose stringent limits on the scalar charge, confirming that $A$ must remain extremely small in the weak-field regime to ensure full consistency with general relativity. In the strong-field regime, we compute the Lyapunov exponent $λ$ associated with the photon sphere and establish its exact relations with the critical impact parameter $\mathcal{B}_u$ and the angular size of the shadow $α_{\mathrm{sh}}$, given by $\mathcal{B}_u = 1/|λ|$ and $α_{\mathrm{sh}} = 1/(r_{0}|λ|)$. These correspondences reveal that the dynamical instability of null circular orbits governs the optical appearance of the black hole. Our results show that increasing $A$ reduces the instability of photon trajectories and enlarges the angular size of the shadow, indicating that the regularization scale leaves a distinct observational imprint on the geometry of regular black holes. In addition, constraints derived from Event Horizon Telescope observations of M87* and Sgr A* further restrict the allowed range of the scalar charge, reinforcing the consistency of the model with current astrophysical observations.

gr-qc

Time Like Geodesics of Regular Black Holes with Scalar Hair

We investigate timelike geodesics in asymptotically flat regular black holes supported by a phantom scalar field characterized by a scalar charge $A$. This parameter removes the central singularity and continuously deforms the Schwarzschild geometry while preserving asymptotic flatness. We derive the equations of motion for massive test particles and classify bounded and unbounded trajectories in terms of the conserved energy and angular momentum. We determine circular and critical orbits, including the innermost stable circular orbit (ISCO), and analyze the transition between capture and scattering. We show that the scalar charge modifies the location of the unstable and stable circular orbits, the ISCO, and the threshold angular momentum for scattering, exhibiting a nontrivial dependence on the radial coordinate. Their physical scales are naturally described in terms of the invariant areal radius $R(r)=\sqrt{r^2+A^2}$. In the weak-field regime, we compute the perihelion precession and obtain corrections proportional to the scalar charge, allowing us to constrain the scalar charge from Solar System observations. We also analyze the motion with vanishing angular momentum and show that, while the qualitative structure of the trajectories remains connected to the Schwarzschild limit $A\to 0$, the quantitative deviations encode the geometric effects of the scalar hair.

gr-qc

Anomalous Decay Rate and Greybody Factors for Regular Black Holes with Scalar Hair

We study the propagation of massive scalar fields in the background of asymptotically flat regular black holes supported by a phantom scalar field with a scalar charge $A$. This parameter regularizes the geometry by removing the central singularity. Focusing on wave dynamics, we analyze scalar perturbations, quasinormal modes, and greybody factors, emphasizing the role of the regularization parameter on the effective potential and the decay properties of the modes. Using WKB methods beyond the eikonal limit, we show that the presence of scalar hair modifies both the oscillation frequencies and damping rates of quasinormal modes. In particular, we demonstrate the occurrence of an anomalous decay rate for massive scalar perturbations, and above a critical field mass, the longest-lived modes correspond to lower angular momentum, in contrast with the massless case. We derive analytical expressions for the critical mass and study its dependence on the scalar charge and overtone number. Furthermore, we apply the Horowitz-Hubeny method to compute the quasinormal frequencies and show that the results obtained from the WKB and Horowitz-Hubeny approaches exhibit excellent agreement in the regime where both methods are valid. In addition, we compute reflection and transmission coefficients and analyze the corresponding greybody factors, clarifying how regularity effects imprint themselves on black-hole scattering properties. Our results show that regular black holes with scalar hair exhibit distinctive dynamical signatures that can be probed through quasinormal ringing and wave propagation.

gr-qc

Nonconformally Ricci-flat instantons in Conformal Gravity with and without nonlinear matter fields

In this work, we study nonconformally Ricci-flat gravitational instantons in four-dimensional Conformal Gravity, both in vacuum and in the presence of nonlinear conformal matter. First, the one-parameter extension of the Kerr-NUT-AdS metric is analyzed. We obtain their conserved charges by using the Noether-Wald formalism. It turns out that they receive corrections from the linear modes present in Conformal Gravity, which are properly identified. Then, we perform the analytic continuation into the Euclidean section and find the curve in parameter space along which this solution becomes regular and globally (anti)self-dual. Using the Dunajski-Tod theorem, we show that the self-dual metric is not conformally Ricci-flat. Then, the backreaction of nonlinear conformal matter is considered. In particular, we find new gravitational instantons in the presence of conformally coupled scalar fields and ModMax electrodynamics. We compute the partition function and conserved charges, which turn out to be finite by virtue of the conformal invariance of the theory. As a byproduct, we also obtain a generalization of the Riegert metric dressed with nonlinear conformal matter as a particular limit of these instantons. For all cases, we analyze the global properties, the curve in parameter space where the solutions are (anti)-self-dual, and the on-shell Euclidean action, among other features.

hep-th

A Photon Cloud Induced from an Axion Cloud

It is known that the axion-photon coupling can lead to quantum stimulated emission of photons and classic exponential amplification of electromagnetic (EM) fields at half the axion mass frequency, when the axion density or the coupling constant is sufficiently large. In this work, we studied the EM photon cloud induced from an axion cloud around a Kerr black hole in the first order of the coupling constant classically. In the presence of a static EM background (such as the extended Wald solution motivated by astrophysical environments), we found that an EM photon cloud emerges, oscillating at the same frequency as the axion cloud and growing exponentially in accordance with the axion cloud when the superradiant condition for the axion field is satisfied. The evolution of the EM photon cloud with time and azimuthal angle is obtained analytically while the cross-sectional distribution is solved numerically. The induced EM field exhibits symmetries that are markedly different from those of the background EM field. Consequently, the induced photon cloud forms an unstable bound configuration that emits EM waves to spatial infinity while being replenished by the axion cloud, providing a potential observational signature of both the presence of an axion cloud and axion-photon coupling.

hep-ph

Near-horizon Geodesic Instabilities and Anomalous Decay of Quasinormal Modes in Weyl Black Holes

We study the stability of the Weyl geometry considering an exact black hole solution. By calculating the geodesics of massless and massive scalar fields orbiting outside the Weyl black hole background and using the Lyapunov exponent, we show that geodesic instabilities, characterized by the Lyapunov exponent, appear in the asymptotically de Siter-like spacetime. Calculating the photon sphere's quasinormal modes (QNMs) of a scalar field perturbing the Weyl black hole, we find a relation connecting the QNMs with the Lyapunov exponent in the asymptotically de Siter-like spacetime. Furthermore, we study the anomalous decay rate of the QNMs connecting their behavior with the Lyapunov exponent.

gr-qc

Massive Particle Motion Around Horndeski Black Holes

The time-like structure of the four-dimensional asymptotically flat Horndeski black holes is studied in detail. Focusing on the motion of massive neutral test particles, we construct the corresponding effective potential and classify the admissible types of orbits. The equations of motion are solved analytically, yielding trajectories expressed in terms of Weierstrass elliptic functions and elementary functions. As an application, we compute the perihelion precession as a classical test of gravity within the Solar System and use it to place observational constraints on the coupling parameter between the scalar field and gravity.

gr-qc

Study of Null Geodesics and their Stability in Horndeski Black Holes

We study the motion of particles in the background of a scalar-tensor theory of gravity in which the scalar field is kinetically coupled to the Einstein tensor and we present the null geodesic structure for asymptotically flat, AdS, and dS Horndeski black holes, studying the effect of the cosmological constant on the orbits. Also, we consider three classical test of the gravity in the solar system, such as, the bending of the light, the gravitational redshift, and the Shapiro time delay in order to constraint the coupling parameters of the scalar field to gravity. Calculating the Lyapunov exponent we explore the stability of these geodesics for various values of the cosmological constant.

gr-qc

Formation of Bound States in Quintessence Alternative Theories

We study the formation and behaviour of bound states formed outside the horizon of a black hole in the presence of quintessence matter. Calculating the Regge and Wheeler potential for general metric function, we find that the presence of quintessence influences significantly the metric function and the Hawking temperature. We show that large black holes radiate less in the presence of quintessence matter and it seems to live longer, while small black holes radiate more in comparison with the model in the absence of quintessence. Bound states emerge at large enough quintessence parameter $|w|$ or angular momentum.

gr-qc

Massive scalar field perturbations of 4D de Sitter Einstein-Gauss-Bonnet black holes

We investigate the propagation of massive scalar fields in the background of four-dimensional Einstein-Gauss-Bonnet black holes with de Sitter (dS) asymptotics. Our study focuses on the various branches of quasinormal modes present in this background, employing the pseudospectral Chebyshev method and the third-order Wentzel-Kramers-Brillouin approximation. We identify that the introduction of the Gauss-Bonnet coupling constant $α$ gives rise to three branches of modes: the perturbative (in $α$) Schwarzschild branch, the perturbative (in $α$) dS branch, and a non-perturbative (in $α$) dS branch. Our results show that the propagation of a massive scalar field is stable in this background. Furthermore, the Gauss-Bonnet coupling constant induces significant deviations in the Schwarzschild branch and smaller deviations in the perturbative dS branch compared to the corresponding branches in the Schwarzschild-dS limit. Additionally, the non-perturbative dS branch of modes, absent when $α=0$, emerges as a novel feature of the Einstein-Gauss-Bonnet framework.

gr-qc

Nonlinear Scalarization of Schwarzschild Black Hole in Scalar-Torsion Teleparallel Gravity

We consider a scalar field coupled to the torsion in Teleparallel Gravity with a coupling function that does not allow for a tachyonic instability to occur, and it leads to the formation of new black holes with scalar hair. The scalarized black hole solutions are asymptotically flat, and they are studied under their thermodynamics, and we show that they are meta-stable solutions without phase transitions of first and second order. Also, we demonstrate the existence of distinct branches of solutions classified by the number of nodes of the scalar field. For the branches analysed, the scalarized solutions have lower free energy than the Schwarzschild black hole; therefore, they are always thermodinamically preferred. Also, we show that the scalarized black holes are entropically favoured compared to the Schwarzschild solution.

gr-qc

To stealth or not to stealth: Thermodynamics of stealth black holes

Using Euclidean methods we investigate the thermodynamics of stealth black hole solutions, which are solutions that geometrically are indistinguishable from those of general relativity, however they are accompanied by a non-trivial additional field that does not back-react to the metric. We find that in general, one can observe shifts in the mass and/or the entropy of such black holes, hence, at least at the thermodynamic level, the stealth solutions may be distinguished by the those of general relativity. We also point out an example, the {\it{bona fide stealth}}, where a non-trivial scalar field can accompany an (A)dS-Schwarzschild black hole without altering the thermodynamic quantities. We point out that thermodynamic discrepancies arise due to the additional boundary terms emanating from the stealth fields, where care should be given in order for the theory at hand to possess a well-defined variational procedure.

hep-th

Using the shadow of a black hole to examine the energy exchange between axion matter and a rotating black hole

We find that a \textit{slowly} rotating axion-modified black hole resulting from the backreaction of an axion field on a rotating Kerr black hole can have a \textit{D-shaped} shadow as that for a \textit{highly} counter-rotating Kerr black hole. This attributes to the fact that the energy exchange between the axion matter and the black hole influences the rotation of the black hole, so the black hole angular momentum first decreases to zero and then the black hole starts to rotate to the opposite direction. Further increasing the coupling leads to \textit{``human-face-like" shaped} shadows and new lensing due to the chaotic scattering, which are novel and drastically different from Kerr black hole. Our analysis provides the first counterexample to that slowly rotating black hole has nearly circular shadow.

gr-qc

Exact black holes in string-inspired Euler-Heisenberg theory

We consider higher-order derivative gauge field corrections that arise in the fundamental context of dimensional reduction of String Theory and Lovelock-inspired gravities and obtain an exact and asymptotically flat black-hole solution, in the presence of non-trivial dilaton configurations. Specifically, by considering the gravitational theory of Euler-Heisenberg non-linear electrodynamics coupled to a dilaton field with specific coupling functions, we perform an extensive analysis of the characteristics of the black hole, including its geodesics for massive particles, the energy conditions, thermodynamical and stability analysis. The inclusion of a dilaton scalar potential in the action can also give rise to asymptotically (A)dS spacetimes and an effective cosmological constant. Moreover, we find that the black hole can be thermodynamically favored when compared to the Gibbons-Maeda-Garfinkle-Horowitz-Strominger (GMGHS) black hole for those parameters of the model that lead to a larger black-hole horizon for the same mass. Finally, it is observed that the energy conditions of the obtained black hole are indeed satisfied, further validating the robustness of the solution within the theoretical framework, but also implying that this self-gravitating dilaton-non-linear-electrodynamics system constitutes another explicit example of bypassing modern versions of the no-hair theorem without any violation of the energy conditions.

hep-th

Massive Scalar Field Perturbations of Black Holes Immersed in Chaplygin-Like Dark Fluid

We consider massive scalar field perturbations in the background of black holes immersed in Chaplygin-like dark fluid (CDF), and we analyze the photon sphere modes, the de Sitter modes as well as the near extremal modes and discuss their dominance, by using the pseudospectral Chebyshev method and the third order Wentzel-Kramers-Brillouin approximation. We also discuss the impact of the parameter representing the intensity of the CDF on the families of quasinormal modes. Mainly, we find that the propagation of a massive scalar field is stable in this background, and it is characterized by quasinormal frequencies with a smaller oscillation frequency and a longer decay time compared to the propagation of the same massive scalar field within the Schwarzschild-de Sitter background.

gr-qc