arXiv subjects

Petya Nedkova

Publications and source records attributed to Petya Nedkova.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Boson Stars surrounded by Polish Doughnuts in Scalar-Tensor Theory

We investigate thick accretion disks (Polish Doughnuts) around rotating self-interacting boson stars in general relativity and scalar-tensor theories, focusing on spontaneously scalarized solutions and their general relativistic counterparts. Using equilibrium models with constant specific angular momentum, we analyze disk structures across the parameter space, with emphasis on the phase transition between GR and scalarized configurations. We find that scalarization induces qualitative changes in the spacetime that significantly affect disk morphology. In particular, scalarized boson stars can lack innermost circular orbits, allowing stable motion down to the center and enabling highly compact, quasi-spherical disks. For the most massive scalarized solutions, a non-monotonic angular momentum profile further permits two-centered disk configurations connected by a cusp. Overall, disks around scalarized boson stars are more compact and more strongly bound than those in general relativity, highlighting distinctive features that may serve as observational signatures of alternative gravity theories in the strong-field regime.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2025

Shadows of rotating traversable wormholes surrounded by plasma

We study the influence of the plasma environment on the shadows of stationary axisymmetric wormholes. We consider a sample of several wormhole solutions and plasma distributions for which the Hamilton-Jacobi equation for the light rays is separable. This allows us to derive analytical expressions for the shadow boundary and examine the behavior of the photon regions as the plasma frequency varies. We observe that plasma profiles which depend only on radial coordinate lead to common evolution of the photon region which does not depend on the wormhole metric and is consistent with the Kerr black hole. For plasma profiles with angular dependence the evolution of the photon region is specific for every spacetime thus wormholes are observationally distinguishable. We further investigate the formation of forbidden regions in the plasma medium where light cannot propagate. They lead to the formation of plasma frequency ranges where the shadow is no longer observable and we show that this phenomenon is characteristic for all the configurations in our sample. We obtain the critical frequencies for which the shadow vanishes and demonstrate that for all the wormholes they are lower than the critical frequencies for the Kerr black hole in the same environment. This implies that there exist plasma frequency ranges in which the Kerr black hole casts a shadow but wormholes do not, creating a strong observational signature for discriminating between compact objects. In the frequency ranges where both black hole and wormhole shadows exist the wormhole shadows are consistently smaller than those for the Kerr black hole. As the plasma frequency grows the discrepancy progresses showing that plasma medium facilitates the experimental detection of wormholes. Finally we consider aberrational effects on the wormhole shadows. They further increase the deviation from black holes making wormholes easier to detect.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2025

Matter Accumulations and Accretion Tori around Wormholes

We study circular orbits and accretion structures around symmetric wormholes. As exemplary solutions we choose three different wormhole spacetimes, namely rotating traversable wormholes from the Teo class, the rotating Simpson-Visser metric with the parameter spectrum corresponding to wormholes and a static wormhole from beyond Horndeski theories. We show the existence of a spectrum of circular orbits at the wormhole throat for each of these wormhole solutions and analyze the boundaries of this spectrum across the respective wormhole parameter range. For each of the solutions we identified that vast regions of the parameter space correspond to stable orbits. The presence of this orbit spectrum can be linked through accretion disk models to matter accumulations which may form at the throat. We present here examples of such disk solutions by implementing the Polish Doughnut model. In some cases, these matter accumulations are encapsulating the throat and could imply central bright regions of the wormhole spacetime. Furthermore, the combined analysis of the equatorial Keplerian orbits and the throat orbits, leads to a set of different disk configurations, where matter accumulations at the throat may be present with outer tori around them, in some cases also as a connected structure. Our results may hint to possible instabilities of wormholes, especially if they have an ergoregion. Moreover, wormholes with such disks, may appear more star-like when it comes to their observational signature, due to the centralized and more spherical emission profile associated with the possible matter accumulations at the throat.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2025

Circular Orbits and Photon Orbits at Wormhole Throats

In this work we study timelike circular orbits and photon orbits at the throat of stationary and axisymmetric wormholes. Our minimal requirements on the spacetime are the existence of a global radial coordinate l, which connects both sides of the wormhole, two times differentiable metric components with respect to l at the wormhole throat and vanishing first derivatives of the metric components at the wormhole throat, which is the case for symmetrical wormholes. We derive expressions in terms of the metric components for the specific angular momentum $\ell$ of a test particle, that describe a possible spectrum of solutions for bound circular orbits at the wormhole throat. We identify a phase transition in the parameter space, which occurs if an ergoregion is present. Furthermore, we showcase expressions for the parameter space in terms of physical properties of the spacetime in the form of the throat circumference $C_T$ , the angular frequency of the wormhole $ω$ and the gravitational redshift $z$. An analysis of these expressions and the characteristics of the photon orbits gives constraints on wormhole properties, as it hints to possible instabilities, such as for fast rotating wormholes and wormholes with an ergoregion. Through the use of accretion disk models, the existence of possible stable circular orbits could be linked to accretion disks surrounding the wormhole throat.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2025

Polarized equatorial emission and hot spots around black holes with a dark matter halo

We study the linear polarization of the accretion disk around black holes with a dark matter halo. The interaction of the black hole with the dark matter is modelled by considering an exact solution to the Einstein equations which describes a superposition of the Schwarzschild black hole with a Hernquist-type matter distribution. We simulate the observable polarization of a magnetized fluid ring orbiting around the black hole and evaluate the influence of the dark matter halo on its properties for physical parameters compatible with the dark matter distribution in galaxies. The polarization intensity and direction of the direct images deviate with less than $1\%$ from the isolated Schwarzschild black hole for a range of magnetic field configurations. For the indirect images the deviation increases with an order of magnitude but still remains under $10\%$ for small inclination angles corresponding to the galactic targets M87* and Sgr A*. This makes the detection of the dark matter impact on the polarized emission from the accretion disk extremely challenging in the near future.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2024

Parameter Constraints on Traversable Wormholes within Beyond Horndeski Theories through Quasi-Periodic Oscillations

{\it Hunting} compact astrophysical objects such as black holes and wormholes, as well as testing gravity theories, are important issues in relativistic astrophysics. In this sense, theoretical and observational studies of quasiperiodic oscillations (QPOs) observed in (micro)quasars become helpful in exploring their central object, which can be a black hole or a wormhole. In the present work, we study the throat properties of traversable wormholes beyond Horndeski theory. Also, we investigate the circular motion of test particles orbiting the wormhole. We analyze the test particle's effective potential and angular momentum for circular orbits. Frequencies of radial and vertical oscillations of the particles around stable circular orbits have also been studied and applied in explaining the quasiperiodic oscillations mechanism in the relativistic precession (RP) model. Finally, we obtain constraint values for the parameters of Horndeski gravity and the mass of the wormhole candidates using QPOs observed in the microquasars GRO J1655-40, GRS 1915+105 \& XTE J1550-564 and at the center of Milky Way galaxy through Monte-Carlo-Markovian-Chain (MCMC) analyses.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2024

Comparison of Magnetized Thick Disks around Black Holes and Boson Stars

Boson stars are considered as promising candidates for black hole mimickers. Similar to other compact objects they can form accretion disks around them. The properties of these disks could possibly distinguish them from other compact objects like black holes in future observations. Retrograde thick disks around boson stars and the influence of strong magnetic fields on them were already studied and it was shown that they can harbor very distinct features compared to black hole disks. However, the case of prograde thick disks is mostly unexplored, since they may appear much more similar to black hole disks. In this work we will investigate similarities and differences regarding prograde thick disks around non-selfinteracting rotating boson stars and rotating black holes. We assume thereby a polytropic equation of state and a constant specific angular momentum distribution of the disks. We classify the various conceivable boson star and black hole solutions by a dimensionless spin parameter $a$ and compare their corresponding disk solutions. The influence of toroidal magnetic fields on the disks is analyzed by selected disk properties, as the rest-mass density distribution and the Bernoulli parameter. Disk solutions are characterized by their degree of magnetization represented by the magnetization parameter $β_{mc}$. We found that strong magnetic fields can strengthen the differences of disk solutions or oppositely even lead to a correlation in disk properties, depending on the spin parameter of the boson star and black hole solutions. We identify the vertical thickness of the boson star disks as the main differentiating factor, since for most solutions the vertical density distribution is far more outreaching for boson star disks compared to black hole disks.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2024

Observing naked singularities by the present and next-generation Event Horizon Telescope

We consider the observational signatures of reflective naked singularities as seen by the current and next-generation Event Horizon Telescope (EHT). The reflective naked singularities lead to a distinctive morphology of their accretion disk images producing a series of bright rings at the central part of the image. We explore the capacity of the present and near-future EHT arrays to detect this structure considering two particular naked singularity spacetimes and modeling the galactic target M87*. We obtain that the 2017 EHT array is incapable of resolving the bright ring series. However, it detects an increased overall intensity of the central brightness depression reaching with an order of magnitude higher values than for the Kerr black hole. This metric can be used as a quantitative measure for the absence of an event horizon. The observations with the next-generation EHT at 230 GHz would reveal two orders of magnitude difference in the intensity of the central brightness depression between naked singularities and black holes. Introducing a second observational frequency at 345 GHz would already resolve qualitative effects in the morphology of the disk image for naked singularities as certain bright spots become apparent at the center of the image.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2023

Magnetized Thick Disks around Boson Stars

The effects of magnetic fields on accretion disks around compact objects are of high importance in the study of their general properties and dynamics. Here we analyze the influence of magnetic fields on thick accretion disks around rotating boson stars. We assume a uniform constant specific angular momentum distribution and a polytropic equation of state. The purely hydrodynamical thick disk solutions are extended to magnetized solutions by adding a toroidal magnetic field and then analyzed in terms of a magnetization parameter. We consider one-centered solutions as well as two-centered solutions and focus on retrograde tori, since they are more distinctive due to their unique properties. Our computed solutions indicate that strong magnetic fields influence the characteristics of thick disks around rotating boson stars and possibly affect their unique features.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2023

Polarized image of equatorial emission in horizonless spacetimes: naked singularities

We study the linear polarization from the accretion disk around weakly and strongly naked Janis-Newman-Winicour singularities. We consider an analytical toy model of thin magnetized fluid ring orbiting in the equatorial plane and emitting synchrotron radiation. The observable polarized images are calculated and compared to the Schwarzschild black hole for physical parameters compatible with the radio source M87. For small inclination angles the direct images of the weakly naked singularities closely mimic the Schwarzschild black hole. The deviation in the polarization properties increases if we consider larger inclination angles or higher order images as for indirect images the polarization intensity grows several times in magnitude compared to black holes. Strongly naked singularities produce significant observational signatures already in the direct images. They create a second image of the fluid ring with times larger polarization intensity and characteristic twist of the polarization direction. Due to this additional structure they can be distinguished in polarimetric experiments.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2022

Polarized image of equatorial emission in horizonless spacetimes I: traversable wormholes

We study the linear polarization from the accretion disk around a class of static traversable wormholes. Applying the simplified model of a magnetized fluid ring orbiting in the equatorial plane, we search for characteristic signatures, which could distinguish wormhole from black hole spacetimes by their polarization properties. For the purpose we analyse the direct polarized images for different inclination angles, the strongly lensed indirect images, and the polarized radiation which reaches the asymptotic observer through the wormhole throat, and compare to the Schwarzschild black hole. For small inclination angles the two types of compact objects lead to a very similar polarization pattern of the direct images. More significant distinctions are observed for the strongly lensed indirect images, where the polarization intensity in the wormhole spacetimes can grow up to an order of magnitude compared to the Schwarzschild black hole. Detecting radiation from the region across the wormhole throat leads to the formation of an additional structure of ring images with distinct polarization properties. The twist of the polarization vector around the ring is less pronounced, thus modifying the polarization pattern, and the polarization intensity can increase with an order of magnitude compared to the radiation from our universe. Thus, while it could be difficult to distinguish wormhole spacetimes by their direct polarized images, the strongly lensed images and the polarization of the radiation through the wormhole throat provide characteristic signatures which can serve as probes for horizonless objects.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2022

Photon surfaces, shadows and accretion disks in gravity with minimally coupled scalar field

In this article, we conduct a sequential study of possible observable images of black hole simulators described by two recently obtained rotating geometries in Einstein gravity, minimally coupled to a scalar field. One of them, "Kerr-like" (KL), can be seen as a legitimate alternative to the rotating Fisher-Janis-Newman-Winicour (FJNW) solution, and the other (TSL) is a scalar generalization of the Tomimatsu-Sato solution. Unlike the previous version of the rotating FJNW, these solutions do indeed satisfy the system's equations of motion. Our study includes both analytical and numerical calculations of equatorial circular orbits, photon regions, gravitational shadows, and radiation from thin accretion disks for various values of the object's angular momentum and scalar charge. The TSL solution was found to simulate Kerr for all valid parameter values with high accuracy. The maximum difference between the deviations of shadows from a circle for the Kerr and TSL cases does not exceed 1% and fits into the experimental observational data M87*. However, near-extreme objects show two times smaller peak values of the observed outflow luminosity of the accretion disk than for the Kerr black hole. The KL solution cannot be ruled out by the experimental data for small values of the scalar charge either. As the scalar charge increases, the optical properties change dramatically. The shadow can become multiply connected, strongly oblate, and the photon region does not hide the singularity, so it should be classified as a strong singularity.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2021

Axial perturbations of hairy Gauss-Bonnet black holes with massive self-interacting scalar field

We study the axial quasinormal modes of hairy black holes in Gauss-Bonnet gravity with massive self-interacting scalar field. Two coupling functions of the scalar field to the Gauss-Bonnet invariant are adopted with one of them leading to black hole scalarization. The axial perturbations are studied via time evolution of the perturbation equation, and the effect of the scalar field mass and the self-interaction constant on the oscillation frequency and damping time is examined. We study as well the effect of nonzero scalar field potential on the critical point at which the perturbation equation loses hyperbolicity in the case of black hole scalarization. The results show that the non-zero scalar field potential extends the range of parameters where such loss of hyperbolicity is observed thus shrinking the region of stable black hole existence. This will have an important effect on the nonlinear dynamical simulation studies in massive scalar Gauss-Bonnet gravity.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2021

Polish Doughnuts around Scalarized Kerr Black Holes

In this work we aim to investigate non-mainstream thick tori configurations around Kerr Black Holes with Scalar Hair (KBHsSH). For that goal, we provide a first approach using constant specific angular momentum non-self-gravitating Polish doughnuts. Through a series of examples, we show the feasibility of new topologies, such as double-centered tori with two cusps as well as similar structures as the ones found for rotating Boson Stars (BSs), namely tori endowed with two centers and a single cusp. These KBHsSH' solutions are also shown to possibly house static surfaces, associated to the static rings present in these spacetimes. Through this report we highlight the differences between these fluid configurations when housed by some KBHsSH examples, standard Kerr black holes and rotating BSs.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2021

Quasi-periodic Oscillations in Rotating Ellis Wormhole Spacetimes

We analyze the properties of the circular orbits for massive particles in the equatorial plane of symmetric rotating Ellis wormholes. In particular, we obtain the orbital frequencies and the radial and vertical epicyclic frequencies, and consider their lowest parametric, forced and Keplerian resonances. These show that quasi-periodic oscillations in accretion disks around symmetric rotating Ellis wormholes have many distinct properties as compared to quasi-periodic oscillations in accretion disks around rotating Teo wormholes and the Kerr black hole. Still we can distinguish some common features which appear in wormhole spacetimes as opposed to black holes. The most significant ones include the possibility of excitation of stronger resonances such as lower order parametric and forced resonances and the localization of these resonances deep in the region of strong gravitational interaction near the wormhole throat, which will lead to further amplification of the signal.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2021

Image of the thin accretion disk around compact objects in the Einstein-Gauss-Bonnet gravity

We study the optical appearance of a thin accretion disk around compact objects within the Einstein-Gauss-Bonnet gravity. Considering static spherically symmetric black holes and naked singularities we search for characteristic signatures which can arise in the observable images due to the modification of general relativity. While the images of the Gauss-Bonnet black holes closely resemble the Schwarzschild black hole, naked singularities possess a distinctive feature. A series of bright rings are formed in the central part of the images with observable radiation $10^3$ times larger than the rest of the flux making them observationally significant. We elucidate the physical mechanism, which causes the appearance of the central rings, showing that the image is determined by the light ring structure of the spacetime. In a certain region of the parametric space the Gauss-Bonnet naked singularities possess a stable and an unstable light ring. In addition the gravitational field becomes repulsive in a certain neighbourhood of the singularity. This combination of features leads to the formation of the central rings implying that the effect is not specific for the Einstein-Gauss-Bonnet gravity but would also appear for any other compact object with the same characteristics of the photon dynamics.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2021

Quasi-periodic oscillations from the accretion disk around rotating traversable wormholes

We study the quasi-periodic oscillations from the accretion disk around rotating traversable wormholes by means of the resonance models. We investigate the linear stability of the circular geodesic orbits in the equatorial plane for a general class of wormhole geometries deriving analytical expressions for the epicyclic frequencies. Since wormholes can often mimic black holes in the astrophysical observations, we analyze the properties of the quasi-circular oscillatory motion in comparison with the Kerr black hole. We demonstrate that wormholes possess distinctive features, which can be observationally significant. It is characteristic for the Kerr black hole that the orbital and the epicyclic frequencies obey a constant ordering in the whole range of the spin parameter. In contrast, for wormhole spacetimes we can have various types of orderings between the frequencies in the different regions of the parametric space. This enables the excitation of much more diverse types of resonances including parametric and forced resonances of lower order, which could lead to stronger observable signals. In addition, for co-rotating orbits the resonances can be excited in a very close neighbourhood of the wormhole throat for a wide range of values of the angular momentum, making wormholes a valuable laboratory for testing strong gravity.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2020

Polar quasinormal modes of the scalarized Einstein-Gauss-Bonnet black holes

We study the polar quasinormal modes of spontaneously scalarized black holes in Einstein-Gauss-Bonnet theory. In previous works we showed that a set of nodeless solutions of the fundamental branch of the model studied in [1] are stable under both radial [2] and axial perturbations [3]. Here we calculate the polar quasinormal modes and show that this set of solutions is stable against the polar perturbations as well. Thus for a certain region of the parameter space the scalarized black holes are potentially stable physically interesting objects. The spectrum of the polar quasinormal modes differs both quantitatively and qualitatively from the Schwarzschild one which offers the possibility to test the Gauss-Bonnet theory via the future gravitational wave observations.

gr-qc↗