The imitation game reloaded: effective shadows of dynamically robust spinning Proca stars

Abstract

Abstract We analyse the lensing images by dynamically robust rotating (mini-)Proca stars surrounded by thin accretion disks. Due to their peculiar geodesic structure we show that these images exhibit striking similarities with the ones of BHs, for appropriately chosen disk intensity profile, when imposing a GRMHD-motivated emission cut off. Additionally, and unlike the non-rotating case, these similarities prevail even when considering equatorial observations. This example illustrates how a horizonless compact object without light rings, with a plausible formation mechanism and dynamically robust, could mimic detailed features of black hole imagiology.