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Entropy in Quantum Gravity
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Entropy in Quantum Gravity

A special issue of Entropy (ISSN 1099-4300). This special issue belongs to the section "Quantum Information".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2011) | Viewed by 73727

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Remo Garattini

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University of Bergamo, Viale Marconi 5, 24044 Dalmine, Bergamo, Italy
Interests: quantum gravity; quantum cosmology; traversable wormholes; casimir effect; quantum field theory; black hole physics; physics of the quantum vacuum
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Almost thirty years after the introduction of the famous Bekenstein–Hawking formula [Bekenstein, J.D. Phys. Rev. 1973, D 7, 949. Hawking, S.W. Comm. Math. Phys. 1975, 43, 199.], relating the entropy of a black hole and its area, the thermodynamics of such objects still attracts research in this direction. One reason is due to the lack of a Quantum Gravity theory that should be able to explain black hole physics. Another reason comes from the fact that Hawking radiation develops modes of arbitrarily high frequency near the horizon. It is clear that the subject of studying Entropy in Quantum Gravity is far to be exhausted. This special section would focus on different contributions and approaches by some of the leading researchers in this field.

  • scope: to provide a set of essays to illustrate the different approaches in different areas of Quantum Gravity that try to explain the connection between entropy and geometry.
  • motivation: the motivation for this issue comes out of a discussion in different workshops and conferences concerning quantum gravity. These different discussions illustrated needs for clarification and interpretation of the different view angles of Entropy-Area relation and Entropy in the context of Quantum Gravity. The invited and contributed essays of this special section would help to clarify this important theoretical foundation.

Remo Garattini
Guest Editor

Keywords

  • entropy
  • quantum gravity
  • quantum field theory
  • quantum cosmology

Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

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125 KiB  
Article
Entangled States in Quantum Cosmology and the Interpretation of Λ
by Salvatore Capozziello and Orlando Luongo
Entropy 2011, 13(2), 528-541; https://doi.org/10.3390/e13020528 - 17 Feb 2011
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 8123
Abstract
The cosmological constant Λ can be achieved as the result of entangled and statistically correlated minisuperspace cosmological states, built up by using a minimal choice of observable quantities, i.e., Ωm and Ωk, which assign the cosmic dynamics. In particular, we consider a cosmological [...] Read more.
The cosmological constant Λ can be achieved as the result of entangled and statistically correlated minisuperspace cosmological states, built up by using a minimal choice of observable quantities, i.e., Ωm and Ωk, which assign the cosmic dynamics. In particular, we consider a cosmological model where two regions, corresponding to two correlated eras, are involved; the present universe description would be, in this way, given by a density matrix ˆρ, corresponding to an entangled final state. Starting from this assumption, it is possible to infer some considerations on the cosmic thermodynamics by evaluating the Von Neumann entropy. The correlation between different regions by the entanglement phenomenon results in the existence of Λ (in particular ΩΛ) which could be interpreted in the framework of the recent astrophysical observations. As a byproduct, this approach could provide a natural way to solve the so called coincidence problem. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Entropy in Quantum Gravity)
139 KiB  
Article
Microcanonical Description of (Micro) Black Holes
by Roberto Casadio and Benjamin Harms
Entropy 2011, 13(2), 502-517; https://doi.org/10.3390/e13020502 - 14 Feb 2011
Cited by 21 | Viewed by 9029
Abstract
The microcanonical ensemble is the proper ensemble to describe black holes which are not in thermodynamic equilibrium, such as radiating black holes. This choice of ensemble eliminates the problems, e.g., negative specific heat (not allowed in the canonical ensemble) and loss of unitarity, [...] Read more.
The microcanonical ensemble is the proper ensemble to describe black holes which are not in thermodynamic equilibrium, such as radiating black holes. This choice of ensemble eliminates the problems, e.g., negative specific heat (not allowed in the canonical ensemble) and loss of unitarity, encountered when the canonical ensemble is used. In this review we present an overview of the weaknesses of the standard thermodynamic description of black holes and show how the microcanonical approach can provide a consistent description of black holes and their Hawking radiation at all energy scales. Our approach is based on viewing the horizon area as yielding the ensemble density at fixed system energy. We then compare the decay rates of black holes in the two different pictures. Our description is particularly relevant for the analysis of micro-black holes whose existenceis predicted in models with extra-spatial dimensions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Entropy in Quantum Gravity)
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183 KiB  
Article
Entropy Production during Asymptotically Safe Inflation
by Alfio Bonanno and Martin Reuter
Entropy 2011, 13(1), 274-292; https://doi.org/10.3390/e13010274 - 24 Jan 2011
Cited by 20 | Viewed by 7024
Abstract
The Asymptotic Safety scenario predicts that the deep ultraviolet of Quantum Einstein Gravity is governed by a nontrivial renormalization group fixed point. Analyzing its implications for cosmology using renormalization group improved Einstein equations, we find that it can give rise to a phase [...] Read more.
The Asymptotic Safety scenario predicts that the deep ultraviolet of Quantum Einstein Gravity is governed by a nontrivial renormalization group fixed point. Analyzing its implications for cosmology using renormalization group improved Einstein equations, we find that it can give rise to a phase of inflationary expansion in the early Universe. Inflation is a pure quantum effect here and requires no inflaton field. It is driven by the cosmological constant and ends automatically when the renormalization group evolution has reduced the vacuum energy to the level of the matter energy density. The quantum gravity effects also provide a natural mechanism for the generation of entropy. It could easily account for the entire entropy of the present Universe in the massless sector. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Entropy in Quantum Gravity)
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100 KiB  
Article
Corrections to Bekenstein-Hawking Entropy— Quantum or not-so Quantum?
by S. Shankaranarayanan
Entropy 2011, 13(1), 11-16; https://doi.org/10.3390/e13010011 - 24 Dec 2010
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 8069
Abstract
Hawking radiation and Bekenstein-Hawking entropy are the two robust predictions of a yet unknown quantum theory of gravity. Any theory which fails to reproduce these predictions is certainly incorrect. While several approaches lead to Bekenstein-Hawking entropy, they all lead to different sub-leading corrections. [...] Read more.
Hawking radiation and Bekenstein-Hawking entropy are the two robust predictions of a yet unknown quantum theory of gravity. Any theory which fails to reproduce these predictions is certainly incorrect. While several approaches lead to Bekenstein-Hawking entropy, they all lead to different sub-leading corrections. In this article, we ask a question that is relevant for any approach: Using simple techniques, can we know whether an approach contains quantum or semi-classical degrees of freedom? Using naive dimensional analysis, we show that the semi-classical black-hole entropy has the same dimensional dependence as the gravity action. Among others, this provides a plausible explanation for the connection between Einstein’s equations and thermodynamic equation of state, and that the quantum corrections should have a different scaling behavior. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Entropy in Quantum Gravity)
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119 KiB  
Article
Black Hole Entropy for Two Higher Derivative Theories of Gravity
by Emilio Bellini, Roberto Di Criscienzo, Lorenzo Sebastiani and Sergio Zerbini
Entropy 2010, 12(10), 2186-2198; https://doi.org/10.3390/e12102186 - 21 Oct 2010
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 7499
Abstract
The dark energy issue is attracting the attention of an increasing number of physicists all over the world. Among the possible alternatives to explain what as been named the “Mystery of the Millennium” are the so-called Modified Theories of Gravity. A crucial test [...] Read more.
The dark energy issue is attracting the attention of an increasing number of physicists all over the world. Among the possible alternatives to explain what as been named the “Mystery of the Millennium” are the so-called Modified Theories of Gravity. A crucial test for such models is represented by the existence and (if this is the case) the properties of their black hole solutions. Nowadays, to our knowledge, only two non-trivial, static, spherically symmetric, solutions with vanishing cosmological constant are known by Barrow & Clifton (2005) and Deser, Sarioglu & Tekin (2008). The aim of the paper is to discuss some features of such solutions, with emphasis on their thermodynamic properties such as entropy and temperature. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Entropy in Quantum Gravity)
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126 KiB  
Article
Superstatistics and Gravitation
by Octavio Obregón
Entropy 2010, 12(9), 2067-2076; https://doi.org/10.3390/e12092067 - 27 Sep 2010
Cited by 26 | Viewed by 8087
Abstract
We suggest to consider the spacetime as a non-equilibrium system with a long-term stationary state that possess as a spatio-temporally fluctuating quantity ß . These systems can be described by a superposition of several statistics, “superstatistics”. We propose a Gamma distribution for f( [...] Read more.
We suggest to consider the spacetime as a non-equilibrium system with a long-term stationary state that possess as a spatio-temporally fluctuating quantity ß . These systems can be described by a superposition of several statistics, “superstatistics”. We propose a Gamma distribution for f(ß) that depends on a parameter ρ1. By means of it the corresponding entropy is calculated, ρ1 is identified with the probability corresponding to this model. A generalized Newton’s law of gravitation is then obtained following the entropic force formulation. We discuss some of the difficulties to try to get an associated theory of gravity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Entropy in Quantum Gravity)
220 KiB  
Article
Black Hole Horizons and Thermodynamics: A Quantum Approach
by Valter Moretti and Nicola Pinamonti
Entropy 2010, 12(7), 1833-1854; https://doi.org/10.3390/e12071833 - 23 Jul 2010
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 8015
Abstract
We focus on quantization of the metric of a black hole restricted to the Killing horizon with universal radius r0. After imposing spherical symmetry and after restriction to the Killing horizon, the metric is quantized employing the chiral currents formalism. Two [...] Read more.
We focus on quantization of the metric of a black hole restricted to the Killing horizon with universal radius r0. After imposing spherical symmetry and after restriction to the Killing horizon, the metric is quantized employing the chiral currents formalism. Two "components of the metric" are indeed quantized: The former behaves as an affine scalar field under changes of coordinates, the latter is instead a proper scalar field. The action of the symplectic group on both fields is realized in terms of certain horizon diffeomorphisms. Depending on the choice of the vacuum state, such a representation is unitary. If the reference state of the scalar field is a coherent state rather than a vacuum, spontaneous breaking of conformal symmetry arises and the state contains a Bose-Einstein condensate. In this case the order parameter fixes the actual size of the black hole with respect to r0. Both the constructed state together with the one associated with the affine scalar are thermal states (KMS) with respect to Schwarzschild Killing time when restricted to half horizon. The value of the order parameter fixes the temperature at the Hawking value as well. As a result, it is found that the quantum energy and entropy densities coincide with the black hole mass and entropy, provided the universal parameter r0 is suitably chosen, not depending on the size of the actual black hole in particular. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Entropy in Quantum Gravity)

Review

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379 KiB  
Review
Entanglement Entropy of AdS Black Holes
by Mariano Cadoni and Maurizio Melis
Entropy 2010, 12(11), 2244-2267; https://doi.org/10.3390/e12112244 - 02 Nov 2010
Cited by 31 | Viewed by 9664
Abstract
We review recent progress in understanding the entanglement entropy of gravitational configurations for anti-de Sitter gravity in two and three spacetime dimensions using the AdS/CFT correspondence. We derive simple expressions for the entanglement entropy of two- and three-dimensional black holes. In both cases, [...] Read more.
We review recent progress in understanding the entanglement entropy of gravitational configurations for anti-de Sitter gravity in two and three spacetime dimensions using the AdS/CFT correspondence. We derive simple expressions for the entanglement entropy of two- and three-dimensional black holes. In both cases, the leading term of the entanglement entropy in the large black hole mass expansion reproduces exactly the Bekenstein-Hawking entropy, whereas the subleading term behaves logarithmically. In particular, for the BTZ black hole the leading term of the entanglement entropy can be obtained from the large temperature expansion of the partition function of a broad class of 2D CFTs on the torus. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Entropy in Quantum Gravity)
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182 KiB  
Review
Black Hole Entropy in Scalar-Tensor and ƒ(R) Gravity: An Overview
by Valerio Faraoni
Entropy 2010, 12(5), 1246-1263; https://doi.org/10.3390/e12051246 - 14 May 2010
Cited by 67 | Viewed by 7224
Abstract
A short overview of black hole entropy in alternative gravitational theories is presented. Motivated by the recent attempts to explain the cosmic acceleration without dark energy, we focus on metric and Palatini ƒ(R) gravity and on scalar-tensor theories. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Entropy in Quantum Gravity)
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