Statistical physics of black holes as quantum-mechanical systems

Abstract

Some basic features of black-hole statistical mechanics are investigated, assuming that black holes respect the principles of quantum mechanics. Care is needed in defining an entropy S_bh corresponding to the number of microstates of a black hole, given that the black hole interacts with its surroundings. An open question is then the relationship between this entropy and the Bekenstein-Hawking entropy S_BH. For a wide class of models with interactions needed to ensure unitary quantum evolution, these interactions produce extra energy flux beyond that predicted by Hawking. Arguments are then presented that this results in an entropy S_bh that is smaller than S_BH. Correspondingly, in such scenarios equilibrium properties of black holes are modified. We examine questions of consistency of such an inequality; if it is not consistent, that provides significant constraints on models for quantum-mechanical black hole evolution.

23 pages with 2 figures. v2: very minor corrections

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• Excluding Black Hole Firewalls with Extreme Cosmic Censorship
• Naked Black Hole Firewalls
• Black Hole Complementarity in Gravity's Rainbow
• Modulated Hawking radiation and a nonviolent channel for information release
• Effective field theory models for nonviolent information transfer from black holes
• Energy and Information Near Black Hole Horizons
• The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of Gravity and Information
• Observational strong gravity and quantum black hole structure
• Freely Falling Observer and Black Hole Radiation
• Unitary S Matrices With Long-Range Correlations and the Quantum Black Hole
• The Devil in the (Implicit) Details. On the AMPS Paradox and its Resolution
• Application of quantum scrambling in Rydberg atom on IBM quantum computer
• Black Hole Thermodynamics Based on Unitary Evolutions