How far does the analogy between causal horizon-induced thermalization with the standard heat bath situation go?

TL;DR

This paper explores the analogy between causal horizon-induced thermalization in quantum field theory and standard heat bath thermalization, emphasizing the role of vacuum polarization and holographic projections in localization entropy.

Contribution

It introduces a mechanism based on vacuum polarization and holography to explain area-dependent localization entropy without relying on traditional heat bath models.

Findings

Localization entropy scales with transverse area

Vacuum polarization underpins thermalization in QFT

Holographic projections explain area behavior of entropy

Abstract

After a short presentation of KMS states and modular theory as the unifying description of thermalizing systems we propose the absence of transverse vacuum fluctuations in the holographic projections as the mechanism for an area behavior (the transverse area) of localization entropy as opposed to the volume dependence of ordinary heat bath entropy. Thermalization through causal localization is not a property of QM, but results from the omnipresent vacuum polarization in QFT and does not require a Gibbs type ensemble avaraging (coupling to a heat bath).