1995/02/28 by J.L.F. Barbón, J. L. F. Barbon, Roberto Emparan +1
Physics and Astronomy · #Black Holes and Theoretical Physics #Black hole (networking) #Black hole thermodynamics #Cosmology and Gravitation Theories #Covariant transformation #Entropy (arrow of time) #Entropy in thermodynamics and information theory #Extremal black hole #Joint quantum entropy #Mathematical physics #Maximum entropy thermodynamics #Physics #Quantum #Quantum Electrodynamics and Casimir Effect #Quantum mechanics #Renormalization #Semiclassical physics #White hole #gr-qc #hep-th
paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physrevd.52.4527
published as Phys.Rev. D52 (1995) 4527-4539 · 24 pages, LaTeX. Several points have been clarified, though results remain the same. Minor typos corrected, and references updated. Version to appear in Phys. Rev. D
arxiv created 1995/09/08 · openalex publication_date 1995/10/15 · arxiv updated 2009/11/30 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
We discuss the status of the black hole entropy formula SBH=AH/4G in low-energy effective field theory. The low-energy expansion of the black hole entropy is studied in a nonequilibrium situation: the semiclassical decay of hot flat space by black hole nucleation. In this context the entropy can be defined as an enhancement factor in the semiclassical decay rate, which is dominated by a sphaleronlike saddle point. We find that all perturbative divergences appearing in Euclidean calculations of the entropy can be renormalized in low-energy couplings. We also discuss some formal aspects of the relation between the Euclidean and Hamiltonian approaches to the one-loop corrections to black hole entropy and geometric entropy, and we emphasize the virtures of the use of covariant regularization prescriptions. In fact, the definition of black hole entropy in terms of decay rates requires the use of covariant measures and, accordingly, covariant regularizations in path integrals. Finally, we speculate on the possibility that low-energy effective field theory could be sufficient to understand the microscopic degrees of freedom underlying black hole entropy. We propose a qualitative physical picture in which black hole entropy refers to a space of quasicoherent states of infalling matter, together with its gravitational field. We stress that this scenario might provide a low-energy explanation of both the black hole entropy and the information puzzle.