Entropy, area, and black hole pairs

S. W. Hawking, Gary T. Horowitz, and Simon F. Ross
Phys. Rev. D 51, 4302 – Published 15 April 1995
An article within the collection: The Work of Stephen Hawking in Physical Review
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Abstract

We clarify the relation between gravitational entropy and the area of horizons. We first show that the entropy of an extreme Reissner-Nordström black hole is zero, despite the fact that its horizon has nonzero area. Next, we consider the pair creation of extremal and nonextremal black holes. It is shown that the action which governs the rate of this pair creation is directly related to the area of the acceleration horizon and (in the nonextremal case) the area of the black hole event horizon. This provides a simple explanation of the result that the rate of pair creation of nonextreme black holes is enhanced by precisely the black hole entropy. Finally, we discuss black hole annihilation, and argue that Planck scale remnants are not sufficient to preserve unitarity in quantum gravity.

  • Received 30 September 1994

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.51.4302

©1995 American Physical Society

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This article appears in the following collection:

The Work of Stephen Hawking in Physical Review

To mark the passing of Stephen Hawking, we gathered together his 55 papers in Physical Review D and Physical Review Letters. They probe the edges of space and time, from "Black holes and thermodynamics” to "Wave function of the Universe."

Authors & Affiliations

S. W. Hawking and Gary T. Horowitz

  • Isaac Newton Institute for Mathematical Sciences, University of Cambridge, 20 Clarkson Rd., Cambridge CB3 0EH, United Kingdom

Simon F. Ross

  • Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, University of Cambridge, Silver St., Cambridge CB3 9EW, United Kingdom

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Issue

Vol. 51, Iss. 8 — 15 April 1995

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