Entropy from conformal field theory at Killing horizons

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In this Subject: Nuclear Physics
By this author: Carlip S.

Author: Carlip S.

Source: Classical and Quantum Gravity, Volume 16, Number 10, 1999 , pp. 3327-3348(22)

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Abstract:

On a manifold with a boundary, the constraint algebra of general relativity may acquire a central extension, which can be computed using covariant phase space techniques. When the boundary is a (local) Killing horizon, a natural set of boundary conditions leads to a Virasoro subalgebra with a calculable central charge. Conformal field theory methods may then be used to determine the density of states at the boundary. I consider a number of cases - black holes, Rindler space, de Sitter space, Taub-NUT and Taub-bolt spaces and dilaton gravity - and show that the resulting density of states yields the expected Bekenstein-Hawking entropy. The statistical mechanics of black hole entropy may thus be fixed by symmetry arguments, independent of the details of quantum gravity.

Language: English

Document Type: Miscellaneous

Publication date: 1999-01-01