• Milestone

Notes on black-hole evaporation

W. G. Unruh
Phys. Rev. D 14, 870 – Published 15 August 1976
An article within the collection: 2015 - General Relativity’s Centennial and the Physical Review D 50th Anniversary Milestones
PDFExport Citation

Abstract

This paper examines various aspects of black-hole evaporation. A two-dimensional model is investigated where it is shown that using fermion-boson cancellation on the stress-energy tensor reduces the energy outflow to zero, while other noncovariant techniques give the Hawking result. A technique for replacing the collapse by boundary conditions on the past horizon is developed which retains the essential features of the collapse while eliminating some of the difficulties. This set of boundary conditions is also suggested as the most natural set for a preexistent black hole. The behavior of particle detectors under acceleration is investigated where it is shown that an accelerated detector even in flat spacetime will detect particles in the vacuum. The similarity of this case with the behavior of a detector near the black hole is brought out, and it is shown that a geodesic detector near the horizon will not see the Hawking flux of particles. Finally, the work of Berger, Chitre, Nutku, and Moncrief on scalar geons is corrected, and the spherically symmetric coupled scalar-gravitation Hamiltonian is presented in the hope that someone can apply it to the problem of black-hole evaporation.

    DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.14.870

    ©1976 American Physical Society

    Collections

    This article appears in the following collections:

    2015 - General Relativity’s Centennial

    The editors of the Physical Review journals have curated a collection of landmark papers on General Relativity to celebrate its centennial.

    Physical Review D 50th Anniversary Milestones

    This collection of seminal papers from PRD highlights research that remains central to developments today in particle physics, quantum field and string theory, gravitation, cosmology, and particle astrophysics.

    Authors & Affiliations

    W. G. Unruh*,†

    • Department of Physics, Miller Institute for Basic Research, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720
    • Department of Applied Mathematics, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

    • *Research supported in part by the Miller Institute for Basic Research, University of California, Berkeley, California, by the National Research Council of Canada, and by McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
    • Present address: Department of Applied Mathematics, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

    Comments & Replies

    Note on accelerated detectors

    P. Meyer
    Phys. Rev. D 18, 609 (1978)

    References (Subscription Required)

    Click to Expand
    Issue

    Vol. 14, Iss. 4 — 15 August 1976

    Reuse & Permissions
    Access Options
    Author publication services for translation and copyediting assistance advertisement

    Authorization Required


    ×
    ×

    Images

    ×

    Sign up to receive regular email alerts from Physical Review D

    Log In

    Cancel
    ×

    Search


    Article Lookup

    Paste a citation or DOI

    Enter a citation
    ×