Observation of Incipient Black Holes and the Information Loss Problem

TL;DR

This paper investigates black hole formation via collapsing domain walls, revealing that pre-Hawking radiation prevents information loss and challenges traditional views of black hole evaporation.

Contribution

It introduces a model using the functional Schrödinger formalism to analyze signals and radiation during black hole formation, highlighting the role of pre-Hawking radiation in information preservation.

Findings

Total energy flux diverges without backreaction consideration.

Pre-Hawking radiation is non-thermal and occurs during collapse.

Asymptotic observers cannot lose objects into black holes.

Abstract

We study the formation of black holes by spherical domain wall collapse as seen by an asymptotic observer, using the functional Schrodinger formalism. To explore what signals such observers will see, we study radiation of a scalar quantum field in the collapsing domain wall background. The total energy flux radiated diverges when backreaction of the radiation on the collapsing wall is ignored, and the domain wall is seen by the asymptotic observer to evaporate by non-thermal ``pre-Hawking radiation'' during the collapse process. Evaporation by pre-Hawking radiation implies that an asymptotic observer can never lose objects down a black hole. Together with the non-thermal nature of the radiation, this may resolve the black hole information loss problem.