Dynamical transitions in scalarization and descalarization through black hole accretion

Abstract

We present the first fully nonlinear study on the accretion of scalar fields onto a seed black hole in anti--de Sitter spacetime in Einstein-Maxwell-scalar theory. Intrinsic critical phenomena in the dynamical transition between bald and scalarized black holes are disclosed. In scalarizations, the transition is discontinuous and a metastable black hole acts as an attractor at the threshold. We construct a new physical mechanism to dynamically descalarize an isolated scalarized black hole. The first results on critical phenomena in descalarizations are revealed. The dynamical descalarizations can be either discontinuous or continuous at the threshold, distinguished by whether or not an intermediate attractor appears.