Higher derivative corrections to black brane thermodynamics and the weak gravity conjecture

TL;DR

This paper investigates how higher derivative corrections influence black brane thermodynamics and supports the weak gravity conjecture by showing these corrections decrease tension-to-charge ratios and increase entropy, under certain positivity bounds.

Contribution

It extends previous Einstein-Maxwell results to p-form gauge fields in general dimensions, demonstrating the impact of higher derivative corrections on key thermodynamic and conjectural properties.

Findings

Higher derivative corrections decrease tension-to-charge ratios of extremal black branes.

Entropy corrections are positive in the microcanonical ensemble.

Results support the weak gravity conjecture under scattering positivity bounds.

Abstract

We study higher derivative corrections to black brane thermodynamics and their implications for the weak gravity conjecture for $p$-form gauge fields. In particular we show that higher derivative corrections decrease tension-to-charge ratios of extremal black branes as implied by the weak gravity conjecture, if four-derivative couplings follow scattering positivity bounds. We also demonstrate that entropy corrections in the micro canonical ensemble are positive under the same assumptions. This extends earlier works in the Einstein-Maxwell theory to $p$-form gauge fields in general spacetime dimensions.