Trapped string states in AdS$_5$ black hole geometry: A path toward Hawking radiation

TL;DR

This paper studies the quantum behavior of strings near an AdS$_5$ black hole, revealing a trapping surface where strings oscillate and potentially emit Hawking radiation, offering insights into black hole quantum mechanics.

Contribution

It introduces a quantum string framework in AdS$_5$ black hole spacetime, identifying a trapping radius and linking string oscillations to Hawking radiation.

Findings

Identification of a trapping radius with quantized string oscillations.

Derivation of the angular wave function via confluent Heun functions.

Proposition of a connection between string dynamics and Hawking radiation.

Abstract

We investigate the quantum dynamics of a closed bosonic string in the curved spacetime of an AdS$_5$-Schwarzschild black hole. Starting from the Polyakov action, we perform a canonical quantization of the string and formulate its quantum mechanical equation of motion in the Schr\"odinger (string coordinate) representation. This framework facilitates in obtaining quantum mechanical wave equation governing the radial and angular modes of the string. A central result of our analysis is the emergence of a trapping radius in the exterior region of the black hole. Near this radius, the radial motion of the string is governed by an effective potential that supports small, quantized oscillations, akin to a quantum harmonic oscillator. This behavior indicates a localization of the string at the trapping surface, where it becomes dynamically confined. The angular sector of the wave function is found to be governed by the confluent Heun equation, yielding confluent Heun functions as the angular part of the wave function. The emergence of a trapping surface is analogous to the stretched horizon proposed by Susskind in the context of black hole complementarity. The quantized harmonic oscillation of the string at the trapping radius complements with the Planck's black body whence the string can emit black-body radiation. Thus, the quantum dynamics of strings in black hole spacetimes offers a novel path to probing the quantum origin of Hawking radiation.