Entropy Of Extremal Black Holes Research Articles

Generalized Freudenthal duality for rotating extremal black holes

Freudenthal duality (FD) is a non-linear symmetry of the Bekenstein-Hawking entropy of extremal dyonic black holes (BHs) in Maxwell-Einstein-scalar theories in four space-time dimensions realized as an anti-involutive map in the symplectic space of electric-magnetic BH charges. In this paper, we generalize FD to the class of rotating (stationary) extremal BHs, both in the under- and over-rotating regime, defining a (generalized) rotating FD (generally, non-anti-involutive) map (RFD), which also acts on the BH angular momentum. We prove that the RFD map is unique, and we compute the explicit expression of its non-linear action on the angular momentum itself. Interestingly, in the non-rotating limit, RFD bifurcates into the usual, non-rotating FD branch and into a spurious branch, named “golden” branch, mapping a non-rotating (static) extremal BH to an under-rotating (stationary) extremal BH, in which the ratio between the angular momentum and the non-rotating entropy is the square root of the golden ratio. Finally, we investigate the possibility of inducing transitions between the under- and over- rotating regimes by means of RFD, obtaining a no-go result.

Black hole entropy and moduli-dependent species scale

We provide a moduli-dependent definition of species scale in quantum gravity based on black hole arguments. Concretely, it is derived from a lower bound on the entropy of extremal black holes with higher curvature corrections, which ensures that the black hole can be reliably described within the effective theory. By demanding that our definition coincides with a recent proposal for a moduli-dependent species scale motivated from the topological string, we conclude that the conjecture ZBH=|Ztop|2 relating the black hole to the topological string partition functions should hold, at least within the regime of validity of our analysis.

Near-extremal Freudenthal duality

Freudenthal duality is, as of now, the unique non-linear map on electric-magnetic (e.m.) charges which is a symmetry of the Bekenstein-Hawking entropy of extremal black holes, displaying the Attractor Mechanism (possibly, up to some flat directions) in Maxwell-Einstein-scalar theories in four space-time dimensions and with non-trivial symplectic e.m. duality. In this paper, we put forward an effective approach to a consistent generalization of Freudenthal duality to near-extremal black holes, whose entropy is obtained within a Jackiw-Teitelboim gravity upon dimensional reduction. We name such a generalization near-extremal Freudenthal duality. Upon such a duality, two near-extremal black holes with two different (and both small) temperatures have the same entropy when their e.m. charges are related by a Freudenthal transformation. By exploiting Descartes’ rule of signs as well as Sturm’s Theorem, we show that our formulation of the near-extremal Freudenthal duality is analytical and unique.

Non-Holomorphic Cycles and Non-BPS Black Branes

We study extremal non-BPS black holes and strings arising in M-theory compactifications on Calabi–Yau threefolds, obtained by wrapping M2 branes on non-holomorphic 2-cycles and M5 branes on non-holomorphic 4-cycles. Using the attractor mechanism we compute the black hole mass and black string tension, leading to a conjectural formula for the asymptotic volumes of connected, locally volume-minimizing representatives of non-holomorphic, even-dimensional homology classes in the threefold, without knowledge of an explicit metric. In the case of divisors we find examples where the volume of the representative corresponding to the black string is less than the volume of the minimal piecewise-holomorphic representative, predicting recombination for those homology classes and leading to stable, non-BPS strings. We also compute the central charges of non-BPS strings in F-theory via a near-horizon $$AdS_3$$ limit in 6d which, upon compactification on a circle, account for the asymptotic entropy of extremal non-supersymmetric 5d black holes (i.e., the asymptotic count of non-holomorphic minimal 2-cycles).

Exact electromagnetic duality with nonminimal couplings

We study nonminimal extensions of Einstein-Maxwell theory with exact electromagnetic duality invariance. Any such theory involves an infinite tower of higher-derivative terms whose computation and summation usually represents a challenging problem. Despite that, we manage to obtain a closed form of the action for all the theories with a quadratic dependence on the vector field strength. In these theories we find that the Maxwell field couples to gravity through a curvature-dependent susceptibility tensor that takes a peculiar form, reminiscent of that of Born-Infeld Lagrangians. We study the static and spherically symmetric black hole solutions of the simplest of these models, showing that the corresponding equations of motion are invariant under rotations of the electric and magnetic charges. We compute the perturbative corrections to the Reissner-Nordstr\"om solution in this theory, and in the case of extremal black holes we determine exactly the near-horizon geometry as well as the entropy. Remarkably, the entropy only possesses a constant correction despite the action containing an infinite number of terms. In addition, we find there is a lower bound for the charge and the mass of extremal black holes. When the sign of the coupling is such that the weak gravity conjecture is satisfied, the area and the entropy of extremal black holes vanish at the minimal charge.

Generalized Einstein-Maxwell theory: Seeley-DeWitt coefficients and logarithmic corrections to the entropy of extremal and nonextremal black holes

We present a consolidated manual of Euclidean gravity approaches for finding the logarithmic corrections to the entropy of the full Kerr-Newman family of black holes in both extremal and nonextremal limits. Seeley-DeWitt coeffcients for the quadratic fluctuations of a concern gravity theory appear to be the key ingredients in this manual. Following the manual, we calculate the first three Seeley-DeWitt coefficients and logarithmic corrections to the entropy of extremal and nonextremal black holes in a generalized Einstein-Maxwell theory minimally coupled to additional massless scalar, vector, spin-$1/2$ Dirac and spin-$3/2$ Rarita-Schwinger fields. We finally employ the Seeley-DeWitt data to reproduce the logarithmic entropy corrections for extremal black holes in all $\mathcal{N}\ensuremath{\ge}2$ Einstein-Maxwell supergravity via an alternative local supersymmetrization method.

Magnetized Kerr-Taub-NUT spacetime and Kerr/CFT correspondence

We present a new solution in Einstein-Maxwell theory which can be considered as the magnetized version of Kerr-Taub-NUT solution. Some properties of the spacetime are discussed. We also compute the entropy of extremal black hole in the spacetime by using the Kerr/CFT correspondence approach.

Entropy function from the Einstein boundary term

We show using the entropy function formalism developed by Sen (JHEP, 09 (2005) 038) that the boundary term which arises from the Einstein‐Hilbert action is sufficient to yield the Bekenstein‐Hawking entropy of a static extremal black hole which is asymptotically flat. However, for asymptotically AdS black holes, the bulk term also plays an important role due to the presence of the cosmological constant. Further, we show that for extremal rotating black holes, both the boundary and the bulk terms contribute non‐vanishing pieces to the entropy.

Logarithmic correction to the entropy of extremal black holes in mathcal{N} = 1 Einstein-Maxwell supergravity

We study one-loop covariant effective action of “non-minimally coupled” mathcal{N} = 1, d = 4 Einstein-Maxwell supergravity theory by heat kernel tool. By fluctuating the fields around the classical background, we study the functional determinant of Laplacian differential operator following Seeley-DeWitt technique of heat kernel expansion in proper time. We then compute the Seeley-DeWitt coefficients obtained through the expansion. A particular Seeley-DeWitt coefficient is used for determining the logarithmic correction to Bekenstein-Hawking entropy of extremal black holes using quantum entropy function formalism. We thus determine the logarithmic correction to the entropy of Kerr-Newman, Kerr and Reissner-Nordström black holes in “non-minimally coupled” mathcal{N} = 1, d = 4 Einstein-Maxwell supergravity theory.

Compact objects in general relativity: From Buchdahl stars to quasiblack holes

A Buchdahl star is a highly compact star for which the boundary radius [Formula: see text] obeys [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text] is the gravitational radius of the star itself. A quasiblack hole is a maximum compact star, or more generically a maximum compact object, for which the boundary radius [Formula: see text] obeys [Formula: see text]. Quasiblack holes are objects on the verge of becoming black holes. Continued gravitational collapse ends in black holes and has to be handled with the Oppenheimer–Snyder formalism. Quasistatic contraction ends in a quasiblack hole and should be treated with appropriate techniques. Quasiblack holes, not black holes, are the real descendants of Mitchell and Laplace dark stars. Quasiblack holes have many interesting properties. We develop the concept of a quasiblack hole, give several examples of such an object, define what it is, draw its Carter–Penrose diagram, study its pressure properties, obtain its mass formula, derive the entropy of a nonextremal quasiblack hole and through an extremal quasiblack hole give a solution to the puzzling entropy of extremal black holes.

Weak Gravity Conjecture and extremal black holes

Motivated by the desire to improve our understanding of the Weak Gravity Conjecture, we compute the one-loop correction of charged particles to the geometry and entropy of extremal black holes in 4D. We use the entropy function formalism to extend previous analysis that dealt with neutral particles, and obtain the corrections to the horizon entropy for different regimes of black hole masses. These corrections are small in general. They are furthermore reduced when supersymmetry is present, and disappear in N = 4 supergravity. We provide some speculative arguments that in a theory with only sub-extremal particles, classical Reissner-Nordstrom black holes actually possess an infinite microcanonical entropy, though only a finite amount is visible to an external observer, as shown by the horizon entropy computation.

Black hole spectroscopy and AdS2 holography

We compute the spectrum of extremal nonBPS black holes in four dimensions by studying supergravity on their AdS2 × S2 near horizon geometry. We find that the spectrum exhibits significant simplifications even though supersymmetry is completely broken. We interpret our results in the framework of nAdS2/nCFT1 correspondence and by comparing with dimensional reduction from AdS3/CFT2 duality. As an additional test we compute quantum corrections to extremal black hole entropy on the nonBPS branch and recover results previously determined using very different methods.

Extremal black holes, Stueckelberg scalars and phase transitions

We calculate the entropy of a static extremal black hole in 4D gravity, non-linearly coupled to a massive Stueckelberg scalar. We find that the scalar field does not allow the black hole to be magnetically charged. We also show that the system can exhibit a phase transition due to electric charge variations. For spherical and hyperbolic horizons, the critical point exists only in presence of a cosmological constant, and if the scalar is massive and non-linearly coupled to electromagnetic field. On one side of the critical point, two extremal solutions coexist: Reissner-Nordström (A)dS black hole and the charged hairy (A)dS black hole, while on the other side of the critical point the black hole does not have hair. A near-critical analysis reveals that the hairy black hole has larger entropy, thus giving rise to a zero temperature phase transition. This is characterized by a discontinuous second derivative of the entropy with respect to the electric charge at the critical point. The results obtained here are analytical and based on the entropy function formalism and the second law of thermodynamics.

Thermodynamics of extremal rotating thin shells in an extremal BTZ spacetime and the extremal black hole entropy

In a (2+1)-dimensional spacetime with a negative cosmological constant, the thermodynamics and the entropy of an extremal rotating thin shell, i.e., an extremal rotating ring, are investigated. The outer and inner regions are taken to be the Ba\~{n}ados-Teitelbom-Zanelli (BTZ) spacetime and the vacuum ground state anti-de Sitter (AdS) spacetime, respectively. By applying the first law of thermodynamics to the extremal shell one shows that its entropy is an arbitrary function of the gravitational area $A_+$ alone, $S=S(A_+)$. When the shell approaches its own gravitational radius $r_+$ and turns into an extremal rotating BTZ black hole, it is found that the entropy of the spacetime remains such a function of $A_+$. It is thus vindicated, that extremal black holes, here extremal BTZ black holes, have different properties from the corresponding nonextremal black holes, which have the Bekenstein-Hawking entropy $S(A_+)= \frac{A_+}{4G}$, where $G$ is the gravitational constant. It is argued that for the extremal case $0\leq S(A_+)\leq \frac{A_+}{4G}$. Thus, rather than having just two entropies for extremal black holes, as previous results debated, 0 and $\frac{A_+}{4G}$, it is shown that extremal black holes may have a continuous range of entropies, limited by precisely those two entropies. Surely, the entropy that a particular extremal black hole picks must depend on past processes, notably on how it was formed. It is also found a remarkable relation between the third law of thermodynamics and the impossibility for a massive body to reach the velocity of light. In the procedure, it becomes clear that there are two distinct angular velocities for the shell, the mechanical and thermodynamic angular velocities. In passing, we clarify, for a static spacetime with a thermal shell, the meaning of the Tolman temperature formula at a generic radius and at the shell. (Abridged version).

Entropy of extremal black holes: Horizon limits through charged thin shells in a unified approach

Using a unified approach, we study the entropy of extremal black holes through the entropy of an electrically charged thin shell. We encounter three cases in which a shell can be taken to its own gravitational or horizon radius and become an extremal spacetime. In case 1, we use a nonextremal shell, calculate all the thermodynamic quantities including the entropy, take it to the horizon radius, and then take the extremal limit. In case 2, we take the extremal limit and the horizon radius limit simultaneously; i.e., as the shell approaches its horizon radius, it also approaches extremality. In case 3, we take first an extremal shell, and then take its horizon radius. We find that the thermodynamic quantities, in general, have different expressions in the three different cases. The entropy is the Bekenstein-Hawking entropy $S={A}_{+}/4$ (where ${A}_{+}$ is the horizon area) in cases 1 and 2, and in case 3 it can be any well-behaved function of ${A}_{+}$. The contributions from the various thermodynamic quantities for the entropy in all three cases are distinct. Indeed, in cases 1 and 2, the limits agree in what concerns the entropy but they disagree in the behavior of all other thermodynamic quantities. Cases 2 and 3 disagree in what concerns the entropy but agree in the behavior of the local temperature and electric potential. Case 2 is, in a sense, intermediate between cases 1 and 3. Our approach sheds light on the extremal black hole entropy issue.

Information-carrying Hawking radiation and the number of microstate for a black hole

We present a necessary and sufficient condition to falsify whether a Hawking radiation spectrum indicates unitary emission process or not from the perspective of information theory. With this condition, we show the precise values of Bekenstein–Hawking entropies for Schwarzschild black holes and Reissner–Nordström black holes can be calculated by counting the microstates of their Hawking radiations. In particular, for the extremal Reissner–Nordström black hole, its number of microstate and the corresponding entropy we obtain are found to be consistent with the string theory results. Our finding helps to refute the dispute about the Bekenstein–Hawking entropy of extremal black holes in the semiclassical limit.

A Calogero formulation for four-dimensional black-hole microstates

We extract the leading-order entropy of a four-dimensional extremal black hole in N=2 ungauged supergravity by formulating the CFT1 that is holographically dual to its near-horizon AdS2 geometry, in terms of a rational Calogero model with a known counting formula for the degeneracy of states in its Hilbert space.

Entropy function from the gravitational surface action for an extremal near horizon black hole

It is often argued that {\it all the information of a gravitational theory is encoded in the surface term of the action}; which means one can find several physical quantities just from the surface term without incorporating the bulk part of the action. This has been observed in various instances; e.g. derivation of the Einstein's equations, surface term calculated on the horizon leads to entropy, etc. Here I investigate the role of it in the context of entropy function and entropy of extremal near horizon black holes. Considering only the Gibbons-Hawking-York (GHY) surface term to define an entropy function for the extremal near horizon black hole solution, it is observed that the extremization of such function leads to the exact value of the horizon entropy. This analysis again supports the previous claim that there exists a ``{\it holographic}'' nature in the gravitational action -- surface term contains the information of the bulk.

A tale of two horizons

I revisit the fate of coinciding horizons and the volume between them in the extremal limit of spherically symmetric black holes in four space–time dimensions, focusing on the Schwarzschild – de Sitter black hole for concreteness. The two Killing horizons in the limit space–time that are traditionally identified with the limiting event horizons of the non-extremal black hole are shown to instead be generated by an enhanced symmetry of the near horizon geometry (NHG). This dismantles the interpretation of the four-volume between the horizons remaining finite in the extremal limit. The NHG is reinterpreted as a tangent space–time to the degenerate black hole horizon, and geometrical objects, such as Killing vectors and Killing horizons, are carefully mapped between the bulk and the NHG. The implications for extremal black hole entropy are then discussed.

Microscopic and macroscopic entropy of extremal black holes in string theory

This is a short review summarizing the current status of the comparison between microscopic and macroscopic entropy of extremal BPS black holes in string theory.