How Far Can the Generalized Second Law Be Generalized?

Jacob Bekenstein's identification of black hole event horizon area with entropy proved to be a landmark in theoretical physics. In this paper we trace the subsequent development of the resulting generalized second law of thermodynamics (GSL), especially its extension to incorporate cosmological event horizons. In spite of the fact that cosmological horizons do not generally have well-defined thermal properties, we find that the GSL is satisfied for a wide range of models. We explore in particular the case of an asymptotically de Sitter universe filled with a gas of small black holes as a means of casting light on the relative entropic worth of black hole versus cosmological horizon area. We present some numerical solutions of the generalized total entropy as a function of time for certain cosmological models, in all cases confirming the validity of the GSL.     

Spherically Symmetric Space-Time with Two Cosmological Constants

We present the analytic spherically symmetric solution of the Einstein equations, which has de Sitter asymptotics for both r and r 0. This two-lambda spherically symmetric solution is globally regular. At the range of mass parameter M_cr1 < M < M_cr2 it has three horizons and describes a neutral black hole whose singularity is replaced by a cosmological constant of Planck or GUT scale, at the background of small . Global structure of space-time contains an infinite sequence of black and white holes, de Sitter-like past and future regular cores (with + at r 0) replacing singularities, asymptotically de Sitter external universes (with for r ), and spacelike infinities. In the range of mass parameter M < M_cr1 we have a one-horizon solution describing recovered selfgravitating particle-like structure at the background of small , and for M > M_cr2 another one-horizon configuration which can be called de Sitter bag. The solutions with M = M_cr1 and M = M_cr2 represent two extreme states of a neutral nonsingular cosmological black hole.     

Poisson's equation in de Sitter space-time

The form of gravitation's law in projective relativity is examined, based on a suitable generalization of Poisson's equation in de Sitter space-time; it is found that, in the interior case, a small difference with the customary Newtonian law arises. This difference, of a repulsive character, can be very important in cosmological problems.     

Horizon Entropy

Although the laws of thermodynamics are well established for black hole horizons, much less has been said in the literature to support the extension of these laws to more general settings such as an asymptotic de Sitter horizon or a Rindler horizon (the event horizon of an asymptotic uniformly accelerated observer). In the present paper we review the results that have been previously established and argue that the laws of black hole thermodynamics, as well as their underlying statistical mechanical content, extend quite generally to what we call here causal horizons. The root of this generalization is the local notion of horizon entropy density.     

Can particle creation by a black hole be described in terms of more familiar laboratory processes?

Particle creation by a black hole is described in terms of temperature corrections to the Casimir effect. The results of Levin, Polevoy, and Ritov for spectral and total Poynting vector for a fluctuating electromagnetic field in a plane vacuum gap between two arbitrary media with different temperatures in flat spacetime are applied to clarify the situation that exists between the horizon of a nonrotating black hole and spatial infinity. This helps to reveal the mechanism of particle creation. The Hawking radiation is born inside the bell formed by a potential barrier of a black hole in all the region [2M, ]. Its blackbody spectrum is due to the interaction of field fluctuations with the surface of the bell. The particles between the walls are virtual ones. They can become real after passing through the [3M, ] tail, appearing to an observer at future infinityJ ⁺ as real ones. The arguments for and against the present standpoint are discussed.     

Bianchi type I cosmological models with variableG and Λ: A comment

We treat in an alternate way a problem recently considered by Beesham [1]. We find that anisotropic Bianchi I inflationary cosmologies with variable gravitational and cosmological constants admit de Sitter expansion at least for late times.     

Maximal hypersurfaces in stationary asymptotically flat spacetimes

Existence of maximal hypersurfaces and of foliations by maximal hypersurfaces is proven in two classes of asymptotically flat spacetimes which possess a one parameter group of isometries whose orbits are timelike near infinity.. The first class consists of strongly causal asymptotically flat spacetimes which contain no black hole or white hole (but may contain ergoregions where the Killing orbits fail to be timelike). The second class of spacetimes possess a black hole and a white hole, with the black and white hole horizons intersecting in a compact 2-surfaceS.Supported in part by KBN grant #2 1047 9101Supported in part by NSF grant PHY-8918388.     

Recovering the Effective Cosmological Constant in Extended Gravity Theories

In the framework of extended gravity theories, we discuss the meaning of a time-dependent cosmological constant and give a set of conditions to recover an asymptotic de Sitter behaviour for a class of cosmological models independently of initial data. To this purpose we introduce a time-dependent (effective) quantity which asymptotically becomes the true cosmological constant. We will deal with scalar-tensor, fourth and higher than fourth-order theories.     

Thermal particle production in two Taub-Nut type spacetimes

The Hartle-Hawking method of deriving black hole radiance (the Hawking Process) has been extended to non-asymptotically flat de Sitter spacetime by Gibbons and Hawking. They derive a thermal spectrum of radiation detectable by suitable observers. We extend this work to Taub-Nut spacetime and a related and more physical spacetime constructed from it by Siklos by complex analytic continuation and unwrapping. Suitable observers are found to detect thermal spectra in these two spacetimes as well.     

MultipletSO(n+1) scalar fields driving eternal expansion in closed (D+1)-dimensional FLRW cosmologies

The possibility of having a de Sitter asymptotic stage free of choice of the value of the positive cosmological constant (no critical ) is analyzed in a closed FLRW universe which starts from a quiescent phase of evolution and ends into a textured phase by taking into account multipletSO(n+1) scalar fields.On leave of absence from Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil     

On the “projective” magnetohydrodynamics

In the projective relativity based on the de Sitter universe, Maxwell's generalized theory gives us the magnetohydrodynamics, valid on a cosmic scale, for hyperdense matter and high energies. From the new theory can be deduced as limiting cases the hydrodynamics and thermohydrodynamics, the ideal magnetohydrodynamics, the electromagnetism, and the electrohydrodynamics, invariants for the projective Fantappié group.     

Planck Absolute Entropy of the Kerr Black Hole

The thermal character of the inner horizon ofthe Kerr black hole is studied. There is a quantumthermal effect, Hawking absorption, nearthe inner horizon. We give a new formulation of the Bekenstein-Smarr formula and redefine theentropy of the black hole. The redefined entropy must goto zero as the temperature of the black hole approachesabsolute zero. The entropy satisfies the Nernst theorem, so it can be regarded as the Planckabsolute entropy of the Kerr black hole.     

Nonsingular cosmological model with matter creation and entropy production

The study of nonsingular cosmological models [4] based on a theory of gravitation in flat space-times [1] is continued. For a radiation free universe the solution of the model is given analytically. Under the assumption that entropy cannot decrease the cosmological constant must be zero. At the beginning of the universe all energy is in the form of gravitation. The universe contracts. Matter and radiation are created out of gravitational energy and entropy is produced. The contraction stops and then the universe expands without limit. The creation of matter continues producing entropy but today the production of matter and entropy is negligible. The density parameter ₀ 1, i.e. there must be missing mass in the universe. The flatness and the homogeneity problem are solved.     

Rotating black holes as dissipative spin-thermodynamical systems

A black hole is interpreted as an open system in the Prigogine sense. From the point of view of spin transformations, the existence of a phase transition corresponding to an extreme Kerr hole is recognized. The role played by the spin entropy into superradiance of a rotating black hole is investigated.     

Positivity of entropy production in nonequilibrium statistical mechanics

We analyze different mechanisms of entropy production in statistical mechanics, and propose formulas for the entropy production ratee() in a state . When is steady state describing the long term behavior of a system we show thate()0, and sometimes we can provee()>0.     

Does thermodynamics rule out the existence of cosmological singularities?

Recently, Bekenstein showed that a singularity in the FRW radiation-dominated cosmological model is inconsistent with the entropy bound, a new thermodynamic law he put forward a few years ago. In this paper we generalize his results and show that, regardless of model peculiarities, the existence of cosmological singularities is incompatible with thermodynamics.     

The four laws of black hole mechanics

Expressions are derived for the mass of a stationary axisymmetric solution of the Einstein equations containing a black hole surrounded by matter and for the difference in mass between two neighboring such solutions. Two of the quantities which appear in these expressions, namely the area A of the event horizon and the surface gravity of the black hole, have a close analogy with entropy and temperature respectively. This analogy suggests the formulation of four laws of black hole mechanics which correspond to and in some ways transcend the four laws of thermodynamics.Research supported in part by the National Science Foundation.     

Geodesics in black hole space-times

We give the equations governing trajectories in black hole space-times, and present a guide to the literature-a who did what annotated reference list.     

Decay of de Sitter Vacua by Thermal Activation

Decay of a de Sitter vacuum may proceed through a static instanton, representing pair creation of critical bubbles separated by a distance comparable to the Hubble radius—a process somewhat analogous to thermal activation in flat space. We compare this with related processes recently discussed in the literature.     

Quantum hair and quantum gravity

A black hole may carry quantum numbers that arenot associated with massless gauge fields, contrary to the spirit of the no-hair theorems. The quantum hair is invisible in the classical limit, but measurable via quantum interference experiments. Quantum hair alters the temperature of the radiation emitted by a black hole. It also induces non-zero expectation values for fields outside the event horizon; these expectation values are non-perturbative in , and decay exponentially far from the hole. The existence of quantum hair demonstrates that a black hole can have an intricate quantum-mechanical structure that is completely missed by standard semiclassical theory.Based on an essay which received second award from the Gravity Research Foundation, 1991