Self-interacting scalar field distributions around Schwarzschild black holes

Long-lived configurations of massive scalar fields around black holes may form if the coupling between the mass of the scalar field and the mass of the black hole is very small. In this work we analyze the effect of self-interaction in the distribution of the long-lived cloud surrounding a static black hole. We consider both attractive and repulsive self-interactions. By solving numerically the Klein-Gordon equation on a fixed background in the frequency domain, we find that the spatial distribution of quasistationary states may be larger as compared to the noninteracting case. We performed a time evolution to determine the effect of the self-interaction on the lifetime of the configurations our findings indicate that the contribution of the self -interaction is subdominant.

Automated summary

In this study, the effect of self-interaction on the distribution and lifetime of long-lived configurations of massive scalar fields around black holes is analyzed. The spatial distribution of quasistationary states may be larger when there is self-interaction compared to the noninteracting case. The contribution of self-interaction to the lifetime of the configurations is found to be subdominant.