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Interface of General Relativity, Quantum Physics and Statistical Mechanics: Some Recent Developments
Author(s) -
Ashtekar A.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
annalen der physik
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.009
H-Index - 68
eISSN - 1521-3889
pISSN - 0003-3804
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1521-3889(200005)9:3/5<178::aid-andp178>3.0.co;2-u
Subject(s) - event horizon , physics , black hole thermodynamics , generality , theoretical physics , entropy (arrow of time) , membrane paradigm , quantization (signal processing) , general relativity , black hole (networking) , new horizons , horizon , classical mechanics , event (particle physics) , quantum mechanics , de sitter–schwarzschild metric , mathematics , computer science , psychology , computer network , routing protocol , routing (electronic design automation) , spacecraft , algorithm , astronomy , psychotherapist , link state routing protocol
The arena normally used in black holes thermodynamics was recently generalized to incorporate a broad class of physically interesting situations. The key idea is to replace the notion of stationary event horizons by that of ‘isolated horizons.’ Unlike event horizons, isolated horizons can be located in a space‐time quasi‐locally . Furthermore, they need not be Killing horizons. In particular, a space‐time representing a black hole which is itself in equilibrium, but whose exterior contains radiation, admits an isolated horizon. In spite of this generality, the eroth and first laws of black hole mechanics extend to isolated horizons. Furthermore, by carrying out a systematic, non‐perturbative quantization, one can explore the quantum geometry of isolated horizons and account for their entropy from statistical mechanical considerations. After a general introduction to black hole thermodynamics as a whole, these recent developments are briefly summarized.