Black holes without firewalls

TL;DR

This paper argues that black holes do not necessarily have firewalls at the horizon if the stretched horizon retains information for a time comparable to the scrambling time, challenging previous assumptions about black hole complementarity.

Contribution

It demonstrates that the presence of firewalls depends on the dynamics of the stretched horizon, providing a new perspective on black hole information retention.

Findings

No firewall if stretched horizon retains information for the scrambling time

Black hole complementarity does not imply firewalls for infalling observers

Dynamics of the stretched horizon determine the experience of infalling observers

Abstract

The postulates of black hole complementarity do not imply a firewall for infalling observers at a black hole horizon. The dynamics of the stretched horizon, that scrambles and re-emits information, determines whether infalling observers experience anything out of the ordinary when entering a large black hole. In particular, there is no firewall if the stretched horizon degrees of freedom retain information for a time of order the black hole scrambling time.