Relative time delay in a spinning black hole as a diagnostic for no-hair theorem

Abstract

The spinning regular black hole (spin a) metric proposed by Johannsen shares the Kerr horizon but contains independent dimensionless parameters marking deviation from the Kerr metric. Non-zero value of any of the parameters would indicate violation of the no-hair theorem. We shall find the influence of these parameters on the relative time delay (not Shapiro time delay) treated here as a diagnostic for no-hair theorem using aligned, finite, thin-lens approximation in realistic spinning astrophysical configurations. Precise measurement of this delay would then help us determine, from observational perspective, whether or not any of the parameters is really non-zero. We shall also point out that the aligned spinning lens is completely equivalent to a “static” lens with a fictitious lens geometry, which would enable us to re-express the relative time delay components in terms of the spin a. Numerical values are tabulated for three astrophysical lens systems. The advantage of the present treatment is that it can accommodate a variety of spinning lens systems that are likely to be detected in the near future.