Abstract
We investigate conformally coupled quantum matter fields on spherically symmetric, continuously self-similar backgrounds. By exploiting the symmetry associated with the self-similarity the general structure of the renormalized quantum stress-energy tensor can be derived. As an immediate application we consider a combination of classical, and quantum perturbations about exactly critical collapse. Generalizing the standard argument which explains the scaling law for black hole mass, we demonstrate the existence of a quantum mass gap when the classical critical exponent satisfies When our argument is inconclusive; the semi-classical approximation breaks down in the spacetime region of interest.
- Received 27 February 1998
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.58.024006
©1998 American Physical Society