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Generalized Effective Field Theory for Four-Dimensional Black Hole Evaporation

High Energy Physics - Theory 2025-11-10 v1 General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology

Abstract

The quantum induced stress tensor of 3+1-dimensional Einstein gravity, with conformally coupled matter, is studied in an effective field theory approach. In this context, Riegert's non-local effective action is sufficient to reproduce the trace anomaly in curved spacetime but in general the effective action can include additional non-local but scale invariant terms that influence the semiclassical physics without affecting the trace anomaly. Here, a truncated model, with only one additional term involving the square of the Weyl tensor, is used to find the induced stress tensor in a black hole background. With suitable physical conditions, a solution of the resulting 4th order equations leads, in a static limit, to a unique quantum state matching expected properties of the Unruh state.

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Cite

@article{arxiv.2511.05374,
  title  = {Generalized Effective Field Theory for Four-Dimensional Black Hole Evaporation},
  author = {Bing-Nan Liu and David A. Lowe and Larus Thorlacius},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2511.05374},
  year   = {2025}
}

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15 pages