A tensorial description of particle perception in black-hole physics

Abstract

In quantum field theory in curved backgrounds, one typically distinguishes between objective, tensorial, quantities such as the Renormalized Stress-Energy Tensor (RSET) and subjective, non-tensorial, quantities such as Bogoliubov coefficients which encode perception effects associated with the specific trajectory of a detector. In this work we propose a way to treat both objective and subjective notions on an equal tensorial footing. For that purpose, we define a new tensor which we will call the Perception Renormalized Stress-Energy Tensor (PeRSET). The PeRSET is defined as the subtraction of the RSET corresponding to two different vacuum states. Based on this tensor we can define perceived energy densities and fluxes. The PeRSET helps to have a more organized and systematic understanding of various results in the literature regarding quantum field theory in black hole spacetimes. We illustrate the physics encoded in this tensor by working out various examples of special relevance.

Minor corrections to match the published version. 11 pages, 5 figures

References in corpus (8)

• The Unruh effect and its applications
• Minimal conditions for the existence of a Hawking-like flux
• Hawking-like radiation from evolving black holes and compact horizonless objects
• Entanglement entropy and negative energy in two dimensions
• Black hole kinematics: the "in"-vacuum energy density and flux for different observers
• Particle creation from the quantum stress tensor
• Particle detectors in curved spacetime quantum field theory
• Quantum frictionless trajectories versus geodesics

Cited by in corpus (9)

• Black hole inner horizon evaporation in semiclassical gravity
• Black hole quantum atmosphere for freely falling observers
• Semiclassical instability of inner-extremal regular black holes
• Hawking radiation inside a charged black hole
• Semiclassical gravity effects near horizon formation
• Vacuum semiclassical gravity does not leave space for safe singularities
• Asymptotic horizon formation, spacetime stretching and causality
• Observables in quantum field theory on a collapsing black hole background
• Black holes and their horizons in semiclassical and modified theories of gravity