Comments on information loss and remnants

TL;DR

This paper reevaluates black hole information loss and remnants, proposing that energy loss can be modeled without Planckian fluctuations, but potential infinite pair production remains a challenge, with instanton analysis suggesting finite production is possible.

Contribution

It introduces a new perspective on information loss and remnants, showing that infinite pair production may be finite due to fluctuations from an infinite spectrum of states.

Findings

Energy loss in black holes can be modeled without Planckian fluctuations.

Instanton analysis indicates potential finiteness of pair production despite an infinite spectrum.

Fluctuations from infinite states lead to divergent stress tensors, challenging naive infinite production arguments.

Abstract

The information loss and remnant proposals for resolving the black hole information paradox are reconsidered. It is argued that in typical cases information loss implies energy loss, and thus can be thought of in terms of coupling to a spectrum of ``fictitious'' remnants. This suggests proposals for information loss that do not imply planckian energy fluctuations in the low energy world. However, if consistency of gravity prevents energy non-conservation, these remnants must then be considered to be real. In either case, the catastrophe corresponding to infinite pair production remains a potential problem. Using Reissner-Nordstrom black holes as a paradigm for a theory of remnants, it is argued that couplings in such a theory may give finite production despite an infinite spectrum. Evidence for this is found in analyzing the instanton for Schwinger production; fluctuations from the infinite number of states lead to a divergent stress tensor, spoiling the instanton calculation. Therefore naive arguements for infinite production fail.