Accretion disc luminosity for black holes surrounded by dark matter

Abstract

ABSTRACT We consider the observational properties of a static black hole space–time immersed in a dark matter envelope. We investigate how the modifications to geometry induced by the presence of dark matter affect the luminosity of the black hole’s accretion disc. We show that the same disc luminosity as produced by a black hole in vacuum may be produced by a smaller black hole surrounded by dark matter under certain conditions. In particular, we demonstrate that the luminosity of the disc is markedly altered by the presence of dark matter, suggesting that the mass estimation of distant supermassive black holes may be changed if they are immersed in dark matter. We argue that a similar effect holds in more realistic scenarios, and we discuss the refractive index related to dark matter lensing. Finally, we show how the results presented here may help to explain the observed luminosity of supermassive black holes in the early Universe.