Late Time Correlation Functions, Baby Universes, and ETH in JT Gravity

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that correlation functions in JT gravity exhibit behavior consistent with an ensemble of Hamiltonians obeying ETH, with topology change via baby universes explaining non-decaying features.

Contribution

It provides a detailed bulk gravitational explanation for ETH and random matrix statistics in black hole microstates through baby universe topology changes.

Findings

Correlation functions show ramp and plateau behavior.

Baby universes induce topology change explaining non-decay.

Agreement with ensemble average predictions in JT gravity.

Abstract

Quantum black holes are described by a large number of macroscopically indistinguishable microstates. Correlation functions of fields outside the horizon at long time separation probe this indistinguishability. The simplest of these, the thermal two-point function, oscillates erratically around a nonperturbatively small average "ramp" and "plateau" after an initial period of decay; these non-decaying averaged features are signatures of the discreteness of the black hole spectrum. For a theory described by an ensemble of Hamiltonians, the two-point function follows this averaged behavior. In this paper we study certain correlation functions in Jackiw-Teitelboim (JT) gravity and find precise agreement with the behavior expected for a theory described by an ensemble of Hamiltonians with random matrix statistics -- the eigenstates obey the Eigenstate Thermalization Hypothesis (ETH) and the energy levels have random matrix level statistics. A central aspect of our analysis is an averaged bulk Hilbert space description of the relevant behavior. The mechanism behind this behavior is topology change due the the emission and absorption of closed "baby universes". These baby universe effects give two complementary pictures of the non-decaying behavior, related by different continuations of a Euclidean geometry. A long Einstein-Rosen bridge can become short by emitting a large baby universe, and baby universes emitted and reabsorbed at points widely separated in space and time creates a "shortcut", allowing particles to leave the interior of the black hole.