Higher-order corrections to mass-charge relation of extremal black holes

TL;DR

This paper examines how higher-derivative corrections influence the mass-charge relation of extremal black holes, supporting the conjecture that such corrections make non-supersymmetric black holes lighter and self-repulsive, consistent with swampland ideas.

Contribution

It provides explicit calculations of higher-derivative effects on extremal black holes in various dimensions, confirming the conjecture within the swampland program.

Findings

Higher-derivative corrections lower the mass of extremal black holes.

Results support the hypothesis that corrections lead to self-repulsion.

Calculations are consistent across different theories and dimensions.

Abstract

We investigate the hypothesis that the higher-derivative corrections always make extremal non-supersymmetric black holes lighter than the classical bound and self-repulsive. This hypothesis was recently formulated in the context of the so-called swampland program. One of our examples involves an extremal heterotic black hole in four dimensions. We also calculate the effect of general four-derivative terms in Maxwell-Einstein theories in D dimensions. The results are consistent with the conjecture.