GRAVITATIONAL THERMODYNAMICS OF SPACETIME FOAM IN ONE-LOOP APPROXIMATION

Abstract

We show from one-loop quantum gravity and statistical thermodynamics that the thermodynamics of quantum foam in flat spacetime and Schwarzschild spacetime is exactly the same as that of Hawking–Unruh radiation in thermal equilibrium. This means we show unambiguously that Hawking–Unruh thermal radiation should contain thermal gravitons or the contribution of quantum spacetime foam. As a by-product, we give also the quantum gravity correction in one-loop approximation to the classical black hole thermodynamics.