Interferometry of black holes with Hawking radiation

We investigate the wave optical imaging of black holes with Hawking radiation. The spatial correlation function of Hawking radiation is expressed in terms of transmission and reflection coefficients for scalar wave modes and evaluated by numerically summing over angular quantum numbers for the Unruh Hawking state of the Kerr-de Sitter black hole. Then, wave optical images of an evaporating black hole are obtained by the Fourier transformation of the spatial correlation function. For a short wavelength, the image of the black hole with the outgoing mode of the Unruh-Hawking state has the appearance of a star with its surface given by the photon sphere. It is found that interference between incoming modes from the cosmological horizon and reflected modes due to the scattering of the black hole can enhance brightness of images in the vicinity of the photon sphere. For a long wavelength, the entire field of view is bright, and the emission region of Hawking radiation cannot be identified.

Automated summary

This study investigates the optical imaging of black holes with Hawking radiation. It calculates the spatial correlation function of Hawking radiation and obtains the optical images of black holes through Fourier transformation. The study finds that interference can enhance the brightness of images near the photon sphere.