Energy extraction from bouncing geometries

Abstract

Quantum gravity phenomenology suggests the interesting possibility that black holes are not eternal. Collapse could be halted by some unknown mechanism, or Hawking radiation might leave behind a regular spacetime. Here we investigate a simple bouncing geometry, with (outer and inner) apparent horizons but no event horizon. We show that the inner horizon blueshifts radiation, which can lead to a gigantic amplification of energy observable from far away regions. Thus, if such phenomena exist in our Universe, then they can power high-energy bursts at late stages in their lives, when the horizons disappear and spacetime bounces back to a flat geometry.