Thermal Fields, Entropy, and Black Holes

TL;DR

This review explores the statistical mechanics of quantum fields near black hole horizons, comparing different entropy calculations and their relation to the Bekenstein-Hawking entropy, highlighting the role of renormalization and induced gravity.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of the connection between quantum field entropy and black hole entropy, including new insights into renormalization effects and induced gravity theories.

Findings

Statistical-mechanical entropy aligns with Bekenstein-Hawking entropy after renormalization.

Quantum fields near horizons contribute significantly to black hole entropy.

Induced gravity models offer a framework for understanding entropy calculations.

Abstract

In this review we describe statistical mechanics of quantum systems in the presence of a Killing horizon and compare statistical-mechanical and one-loop contributions to black hole entropy. Studying these questions was motivated by attempts to explain the entropy of black holes as a statistical-mechanical entropy of quantum fields propagating near the black hole horizon. We provide an introduction to this field of research and review its results. In particular, we discuss the relation between the statistical-mechanical entropy of quantum fields and the Bekenstein-Hawking entropy in the standard scheme with renormalization of gravitational coupling constants and in the theories of induced gravity.