| Name: Tausif Parvez |
| Affiliation: Indian Institute of Technology Bombay |
| Conference ID: ASI2026_991 |
| Title: Radio Signatures of Quantum Vacuum Breakdown in Black Hole Environments |
| Abstract Type: Poster |
| Abstract Category: High Energy Phenomena, Fundamental Physics and Astronomy |
| Author(s) and Co-Author(s) with Affiliation: Susobhan Mandal(IISER Tirupati), Tausif Parvez(IIT Bombay), S. Shankaranarayanan(IIT Bombay) |
| Abstract: Next-generation radio facilities like the SKA and ngVLA will probe the vicinity of black holes with unprecedented sensitivity, opening a new window into extreme physics. In this work, we investigate whether quantum vacuum effects in these environments can produce observable radio signatures. Focusing on the Magnetically Arrested Disk (MAD) regime, we model the production of electron-positron pairs driven by the rapid temporal evolution of accretion disk magnetic fields (10^4 - 10^8 G). We find that "dynamical pair creation"—a non-perturbative quantum effect distinct from thermal particle acceleration—produces a population of relativistic leptons that emit characteristic synchrotron radiation. Our results predict a unique spectral peak in the MHz-GHz range with flux densities reaching 100 mJy, distinguishing this emission from standard thermal disk radiation. We discuss the feasibility of detecting this "quantum radio signal" using the SKA-Low and LOFAR 2.0, potentially providing the first direct astrophysical evidence of non-adiabatic vacuum breakdown in the strong-gravity regime. |
