Work

Black Hole Entropy from Conformal Field Theory in Any Dimension

Year: 1999

Type: article

Abstract: Restricted to a black hole horizon, the ``gauge'' algebra of surface deformations in general relativity contains a Virasoro subalgebra with a calculable central charge. The fields in any quantum theory of gravity must transform accordingly, i.e., they must admit a conformal field theory description. Applying Cardy's formula for the asymptotic density of states, I use this result to derive the Bekenstein-Hawking entropy. This method is universal---it holds for any black hole, and requires no details of quantum gravity---but it is also explicitly statistical mechanical, based on counting microscopic states.

Source: Physical Review Letters

DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.82.2828

Author: S. Carlip

Institution: University of California, Davis

Language: English

Topic: Black Holes and Theoretical Physics

Subfield: Nuclear and High Energy Physics

Field: Physics and Astronomy

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funders: National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Energy

Award: RESEARCH ON QUANTUM GRAVITY