Thermodynamics and phases in quantum gravity

TL;DR

This paper explores quantum gravity effects on black hole thermodynamics, revealing phase transitions, entropy corrections, and modifications to Hawking radiation near the Planck scale, suggesting fundamental discreteness influences black hole behavior.

Contribution

It introduces a quantum framework combining gravitational collapse with quasi-local energy definitions to analyze black hole thermodynamics in quantum gravity.

Findings

Black hole specific heat becomes positive after a phase transition near the Planck scale.

Black hole entropy receives a logarithmic correction.

Hawking radiation stops near the Planck scale due to modified mass loss rate.

Abstract

We give an approach for studying quantum gravity effects on black hole thermodynamics. This combines a quantum framework for gravitational collapse with quasi-local definitions of energy and surface gravity. Our arguments suggest that (i) the specific heat of a black hole becomes positive after a phase transition near the Planck scale,(ii) its entropy acquires a logarithmic correction, and (iii) the mass loss rate is modified such that Hawking radiation stops near the Planck scale. These results are due essentially to a realization of fundamental discreteness in quantum gravity, and are in this sense potentially theory independent.