The Quantum Black Hole Specific Heat is Positive

TL;DR

This paper proposes that quantum black holes have a positive specific heat when considering high-temperature degrees of freedom, implying an underlying atomic structure of gravity.

Contribution

It introduces a model accounting for high-temperature degrees of freedom, resulting in positive specific heat for quantum black holes, contrasting with traditional negative heat predictions.

Findings

Quantum black holes have positive specific heat when high-temperature degrees are included.

The thermodynamic functions suggest an atomic structure of gravity.

The model aligns with thermodynamic descriptions of quantum black holes.

Abstract

We suggest in this Letter that the Bekenstein-Hawking black hole entropy accounts for the degrees of freedom which are excited at low temperatures only and hence it leads to the negative specific heat. Taking into account the physical degrees of freedom which are excited at high temperatures, the existence of which we postulate, we compute the total specific heat of the quantum black hole that appears to be positive. This is done in analogy to the Planck's treatment of the black body radiation problem. Other thermodynamic functions are computed as well. Our results and the success of the thermodynamic description of the quantum black hole suggest an underlying atomic (discrete) structure of gravitation. The basic properties of these gravitational atoms are found.