Black Hole Thermodynamics from Euclidean Horizon Constraints

Abstract

To explain black hole thermodynamics in quantum gravity, one must introduce constraints to ensure that a black hole is actually present. I show that for a large class of black holes, such ``horizon constraints'' allow the use of conformal field theory techniques to compute the density of states, reproducing the Bekenstein-Hawking entropy in a nearly model-independent manner. One standard string theory approach to black hole entropy arises as a special case, lending support to the claim that the mechanism may be ``universal.'' I argue that the relevant degrees of freedom are Goldstone-boson-like excitations arising from the weak breaking of symmetry by the constraints.

4 pages, revtex; v2: changes in emphasis in abstract and introduction, typos fixed

References in corpus (3)

• Higher-spin Currents and Thermal Flux from Hawking Radiation
• Evidence for an entropy bound from fundamentally discrete gravity
• Conformal Gravity from AdS/CFT mechanism

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• Hawking radiation by Kerr black holes and conformal symmetry
• Noether current of the surface term of Einstein-Hilbert action, Virasoro algebra and entropy
• Effective Conformal Descriptions of Black Hole Entropy: A Review
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• Local Approach to Hawking Radiation
• Non-equilibrium Landauer Transport Model for Hawking radiation from a Black Hole
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• Computing Black Hole entropy in Loop Quantum Gravity from a Conformal Field Theory perspective
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• Manifestation of Quantum Forces in Spacetime: Towards a General Theory of Quantum Forces
• Field theory aspects of cosmology and black holes