The quantum gravitational black hole is neither black nor white

TL;DR

This paper presents a quantum gravitational model of black holes that predicts a non-thermal spectrum, potentially resolving the information loss paradox by describing a quantized mass-energy distribution and entropy.

Contribution

It introduces a lattice-regularized midisuperspace model that yields a quantized black hole spectrum and entropy, addressing key issues in quantum gravity and black hole physics.

Findings

Black hole mass spectrum follows Bekenstein's prediction.

Quantum corrections lead to a non-thermal radiation spectrum.

The model offers a potential resolution to the information loss paradox.

Abstract

Understanding the end state of black hole evaporation, the microscopic origin of black hole entropy, the information loss paradox, and the nature of the singularity arising in gravitational collapse - these are outstanding challenges for any candidate quantum theory of gravity. Recently, a midisuperspace model of quantum gravitational collapse has been solved using a lattice regularization scheme. It is shown that the mass of an eternal black hole follows the Bekenstein spectrum, and a related argument provides a fairly accurate estimate of the entropy. The solution also describes a quantized mass-energy distribution around a central black hole, which in the WKB approximation, is precisely Hawking radiation. The leading quantum gravitational correction makes the spectrum non-thermal, thus providing a plausible resolution of the information loss problem.