Modifications to Hawking Radiation: Scalar Field Effects and Observational Implications

The study of Hawking radiation provides a critical avenue for exploring the interface between quantum mechanics, gravity, and black hole physics. Traditionally, the emission from black holes is expected to follow a thermal spectrum, as predicted by Hawking’s theory. However, recent advancements in quantum gravity and scalar field theories suggest that deviations from this ther- mal behavior may arise due to interactions between scalar fields and the black hole’s spacetime curvature. This paper investigates the potential modifications to Hawking radiation caused by scalar fields in different black hole spacetimes, including Schwarzschild, Kerr, Kerr-Newman, and Reissner-Nordstr¨om geometries. We examine the role of scalar field potentials—massive, massless, and self-interacting—and their impact on the radiation spectrum. Additionally, we explore the observational challenges of detecting these deviations, emphasizing the role of gravitational wave astronomy and multi-messenger astrophysics. Our results suggest that while traditional thermal spectra may serve as a baseline, new spectral features arising from scalar field interactions could offer unique observational signatures, advancing our understanding of black hole thermodynamics and quantum gravity.