Whispers from the quantum core: the ringdown of semiclassical stars

Abstract This investigation delves into the ringdown signals produced by semiclassical stars, which are ultra-compact, regular solutions of the Einstein equations incorporating stress-energy contributions from quantum vacuum polarization. These stars exhibit an approximately Schwarzschild exterior and an interior composed of a constant-density classical fluid and a cloud of vacuum polarization. By adjusting their compactness and density, we can alter the internal structure of these stars without modifying the exterior. This adaptability enables us to examine the sensitivity of the ringdown signal to the innermost regions of the emitting object and to compare it with similar geometries that differ substantially only at the core. Our results indicate that echo signals are intrinsically linked to the presence of stable light rings and can be very sensitive to the internal structure of the emitting object. This point was previously overlooked, either due to the imposition of reflective boundary conditions at the stellar surface or due to the assumption of low curvature interior geometries. Specifically, for stellar-sized semiclassical stars, we find that the interior travel time is sufficiently prolonged to render the echoes effectively unobservable. These findings underscore the potential efficacy of ultra-compact objects as black hole mimickers and emphasize that any phenomenological constraints on such objects necessitate a detailed understanding of their specific properties and core structure.