Quantum general relativity and Hawking radiation

TL;DR

This paper extends the Wheeler-DeWitt framework to analyze quantum effects near black holes, demonstrating that in the WKB approximation, black holes are in thermal equilibrium with Hawking radiation.

Contribution

It specializes the quantum gravitational Wheeler-DeWitt equation to matter perturbations around black holes, revealing thermal properties in the WKB approximation.

Findings

Wave-functional describes an eternal black hole in thermal equilibrium.

Supports the connection between quantum gravity and Hawking radiation.

Provides a framework for quantum analysis of black hole thermodynamics.

Abstract

In a previous paper we have set up the Wheeler-DeWitt equation which describes the quantum general relativistic collapse of a spherical dust cloud. In the present paper we specialize this equation to the case of matter perturbations around a black hole, and show that in the WKB approximation, the wave-functional describes an eternal black hole in equilibrium with a thermal bath at Hawking temperature.