Related papers: Black holes reconsidered
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…
Quantum gravity may allow black holes to tunnel into white holes. If so, the lifetime of a black hole could be shorter than the one given by Hawking evaporation, solving the information paradox. More interestingly, this could open to a new…
It is proposed that the event horizon of a black hole is a quantum phase transition of the vacuum of space-time analogous to the liquid-vapor critical point of a bose fluid. The equations of classical general relativity remain valid…
Black hole perturbation theory is typically studied on time surfaces that extend between the bifurcation sphere and spatial infinity. From a physical point of view, however, it may be favorable to employ time surfaces that extend between…
Several recently found properties of the event horizon of black holes are discussed. One of them is the reflection of the incoming particles on the horizon. A particle approaching the black hole can bounce on the horizon back, into the…
Black holes harbor a spacetime singularity of infinite curvature, where classical spacetime physics breaks down, and current theory cannot predict what will happen. However, the singularity is invisible from the outside because strong…
Over the past three decades, black holes have played an important role in quantum gravity, mathematical physics, numerical relativity and gravitational wave phenomenology. However, conceptual settings and mathematical models used to discuss…
The comparison of geometrical properties of black holes with classical thermodynamic variables reveals surprising parallels between the laws of black hole mechanics and the laws of thermodynamics. Since Hawking's discovery that black holes…
The black hole information paradox is a contradiction between fundamental principles which has puzzled physicists for over forty years. The crux of the problem lies in an assumption about the structure of entanglement across the event…
Hawking radiation is often intuitively visualized as particles that have tunneled across the horizon. Yet, at first sight, it is not apparent where the barrier is. Here I show that the barrier depends on the tunneling particle itself. The…
It was recently shown that black holes decohere any quantum superpositions in their vicinity. This decoherence is mediated by soft radiation through the horizon, and can be understood as the result of the fact that quantum states in the…
Quantum field theory in curved spacetime is a theory wherein matter is treated fully in accord with the principles of quantum field theory, but gravity is treated classically in accord with general relativity. It is not expected to be an…
These notes, based on lectures given at the summer school on Asymptotic Analysis in General Relativity, collect material on the Einstein equations, the geometry of black hole spacetimes, and the analysis of fields on black hole backgrounds.…
Production of high-energy gravitational objects is a common feature of gravitational theories. The primordial universe is a natural setting for the creation of black holes and other nonperturbative gravitational entities. Cosmic black holes…
In this Letter, we study black hole area quantization in the context of gravitational wave physics. It was recently argued that black hole area quantization could be a mechanism to produce so-called echoes as well as characteristic…
Black holes are among the most intriguing objects in modern physics. Their influence ranges from powering quasars and other active galactic nuclei, to providing key insights into quantum gravity. We review the observational evidence for…
The horizon is a classical concept that arises in general relativity, and is therefore not clearly defined when the source cannot be reliably described by classical physics. To any (sufficiently) localised quantum mechanical wave-function,…
On the basis of recently discovered connections between D-branes and black holes, I show how the information puzzle is solved by superstring theory as the fundamental theory of quantum gravity. The picture that emerges is that a…
As was suggested about a year ago, one of the most dramatic consequences of low-scale (~1 TeV) quantum gravity is copious production of mini black holes at future accelerators and in ultra-high-energy cosmic ray collisions. Hawking…
After reviewing the shortcomings of existing definitions used to characterize the boundary of a black hole, we present a new method for its characterization. This definition could potentially be applied to locate the boundary of general…