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Near-extremal black holes have a long AdS$_2$ throat in their near-horizon region. Quantum fluctuations in the throat region are effectively governed by a quantum version of Jackiw-Teitelboim gravity with matter and are strongly coupled at low temperatures. We investigate how these quantum fluctuations affect the spectrum of emission of particles during Hawking radiation. We systematically consider the cases of Kerr and Kerr-Newman black holes for emission of scalar particles and discuss photon and graviton emission from the Kerr background. We find that at very low temperatures the quantum fluctuations radically change the nature of particle emission. Unlike the generic suppression of particle emission in the spherically symmetric Reissner-Nordstr\"om case, we uncover that for particles with non-vanishing angular momentum, the quantum-corrected emission can be substantially enhanced with respect to the standard semiclassical result., Comment: 45 pages, 15 figures

The low-temperature thermodynamics of near-extremal rotating black holes has recently been revisited to incorporate one-loop contributions that are dominant in this regime. We discuss these quantum corrections to the gravitational path integral for asymptotically Anti de-Sitter black holes in four and five dimensions. In four dimensions we explicitly consider Kerr-AdS$_4$, Kerr-Newman-AdS$_4$ and the rotating black hole in ${\cal N}=4$ gauged supergravity with two scalars and two electric charges turned on. In five dimensions we explicitly address the asymptotically flat Myers-Perry black hole and the Kerr-AdS$_5$ black hole. In every case we find that tensor modes contribute $\frac{3}{2} \log T_{\rm Hawking}$ to the low-temperature thermodynamics. We identify the root cause of this universality in two facts: (i) the universal presence of a $SL(2,\mathbb{R})$ subgroup of isometries in the near-horizon geometry and (ii) a set of cancellations in the Lichnerowicz operator. We show that these two conditions hold for near-extremal black holes in asymptotically flat and asymptotically AdS spacetimes of various dimensions., Comment: 42 pages

We consider quantum gravity fluctuations in a pair of nearby gravitational wave detectors. Quantum fluctuations of long-wavelength modes of the gravitational field induce coherent fluctuations in the detectors, leading to correlated noise. We determine the variance and covariance in the lengths of the arms of the detectors, and thereby obtain the graviton noise correlation. We find that the correlation depends on the angle between the detector arms as well as their separation distance., Comment: 14 pages, 2 figures, LaTeX

We consider a congruence of null geodesics in the presence of a quantized spacetime metric. The coupling to a quantum metric induces fluctuations in the congruence; we calculate the change in the area of a pencil of geodesics induced by such fluctuations. For the gravitational field in its vacuum state, we find that quantum gravity contributes a correction to the null Raychaudhuri equation which is of the same sign as the classical terms. We thus derive a quantum-gravitational focusing theorem valid for linearized quantum gravity., Comment: 15 pages, 1 figure, v2. published version in JHEP

We consider a timelike geodesic congruence in the presence of perturbative quantum fluctuations of the spacetime metric. We calculate the change in the volume of a bundle of geodesics due to such fluctuations and thereby obtain a quantum-gravitationally modified timelike Raychaudhuri equation. Quantum gravity generically increases the convergence of congruences and the production of caustics., Comment: 12 pages, 2 figures; v2. published version

We consider the motion of a massive particle in a static, weakly-curved spacetime where the gravitational field is taken to be quantized. We find that Newton's law of free-fall is modified by quantum-gravitational corrections, in addition to the known special-relativistic and post-Newtonian modifications. The quantum-gravitational corrections take the form of stochastic noise in the particle trajectory, where the statistical properties of the noise depend on the quantum state of the gravitational field., Comment: 13 pages, LaTeX. v3: references added, expanded discussion

We show generalized Galileons -- a particular subclass of Horndeski gravity -- arise from a consistent Kaluza-Klein reduction of the low-energy effective action of heterotic string theory to first order in $\alpha'$. This suggests Horndeski theories of gravity have a string-theoretic origin. The form of the Galileonic terms is precisely fixed by parameters of the embedding spacetime, so that only a specific subset of Horndeski theories is permitted by string theory. A novel limit of the model is considered by performing a dimensionful rescaling of $\alpha'$., Comment: 37 pages, clarifications added, to appear in JCAP

For the purpose of analyzing observed phenomena, it has been convenient, and thus far sufficient, to regard gravity as subject to the deterministic principles of classical physics, with the gravitational field obeying Newton's law or Einstein's equations. Here we treat the gravitational field as a quantum field and determine the implications of such treatment for experimental observables. We find that falling bodies in gravity are subject to random fluctuations ("noise") whose characteristics depend on the quantum state of the gravitational field. We derive a stochastic equation for the separation of two falling particles. Detection of this fundamental noise, which may be measurable at gravitational wave detectors, would vindicate the quantization of gravity, and reveal important properties of its sources., Comment: 5 pages + 3 pages of supplemental material, 2 figures

We develop a formalism to calculate the response of a model gravitational wave detector to a quantized gravitational field. Coupling a detector to a quantum field induces stochastic fluctuations ("noise") in the length of the detector arm. The statistical properties of this noise depend on the choice of quantum state of the gravitational field. We characterize the noise for vacuum, coherent, thermal, and squeezed states. For coherent states, corresponding to classical gravitational configurations, we find that the effect of gravitational field quantization is small. However, the standard deviation in the arm length can be enhanced -- possibly significantly -- when the gravitational field is in a non-coherent state. The detection of this fundamental noise could provide direct evidence for the quantization of gravity and for the existence of gravitons., Comment: 34 pages, 1 figure

Recently, remarkable progress in recovering the Page curve of an evaporating black hole (BH) in Jackiw-Teitelboim gravity has been achieved through use of Quantum Extremal surfaces (QES). Multi-boundary Wormhole (MbW) models have been crucial in parallel model building in three dimensions. Motivated by this we here use the latter models to compute the subregion complexity of the Hawking quanta of the evaporating BH in AdS$_{3}$ and obtain the Page curve associated with this information theoretic measure. We use three- and $n$-boundary wormhole constructions to elucidate our computations of volumes below the Hubeny-Rangamani-Takayanagi (HRT) surfaces at different times. Time is represented by the growing length of the throat horizons corresponding to smaller exits of the multi-boundary wormhole and the evaporating bigger exit shrinks with evolving time. We track the change in choice of HRT surfaces with time and plot the volume with time. The smooth transition of Page curve is realized by a discontinuous jump at Page time in volume subregion complexity plots and the usual Page transition is realized as a phase transition due to the inclusion of the island in this context. We discuss mathematical intricacies and physical insights regarding the inclusion of the extra volume at Page time. The analysis is backed by calculations and lessons from kinematic space and tensor networks., Comment: Modified Version (52 pages, 18 figures). Accepted for publication in JHEP

Introduction of electric field in the D-brane worldvolume induces a horizon in the open string geometry perceived by the brane fluctuations. We study the holographic entanglement entropy (HEE) and subregion complexity (HSC) in these asymptotically AdS geometries in three, four and five dimensions aiming to capture these quantities in the flavor sector introduced by the D-branes. Both the strip and spherical subregions have been considered. We show that the Bekenstein-Hawking entropy associated with the open string horizon, which earlier failed to reproduce the thermal entropy in the boundary, now precisely matches with the entanglement entropy at high temperatures. We check the validity of embedding function theorem while computing the HEE and attempt to reproduce the first law of entanglement thermodynamics, at least at leading order. On the basis of obtained results, we also reflect upon consequences of applying Ryu-Takayanagi proposal on these non-Einstein geometries., Comment: 36 pages, 2 figures, Published in JHEP

We show that when the gravitational field is treated quantum-mechanically, it induces fluctuations -- noise -- in the lengths of the arms of gravitational wave detectors. The characteristics of the noise depend on the quantum state of the gravitational field, and can be calculated exactly in several interesting cases. For coherent states the noise is very small, but it can be greatly enhanced in thermal and (especially) squeezed states. Detection of this fundamental noise would constitute direct evidence for the quantization of gravity and the existence of gravitons., Comment: First prize in the Gravity Research Foundation Essay Competition. 6 pages. Published version

Motivated by black hole physics, we define the Unruh state for a scalar field in de Sitter space. Like the Bunch-Davies state, the Unruh-de Sitter state appears thermal to a static observer. However, it breaks some of the symmetries of de Sitter space. We calculate the expectation value of the energy-momentum tensor in the Unruh-de Sitter state in two dimensions and find a non-vanishing flux of outgoing negative energy. Extrapolating the result to four dimensions, we argue that this backreacts on the initial de Sitter geometry semi-classically. Notably, we estimate that de Sitter space is destabilized on a timescale set by the gravitational entropy; analogous to black hole evaporation, the endpoint of this instability is a singular geometry outside the regime of effective field theory. Finally, we suggest that the Unruh-de Sitter state may be a natural initial state for patches of de Sitter space, and discuss the implications for slow-roll and eternal inflation, and for de Sitter thermodynamics., Comment: 24 pages, 2 figures. v2: extended discussion about source at the origin, added references, matches published version

We find a (quasi-)local first law of thermodynamics, $\Delta E = T \Delta S - W$, connecting gravitational entropy, $S$, with matter energy and work. For Einstein gravity $S$ is the Bekenstein-Hawking entropy, while for general theories of gravity $S$ is the Wald entropy, evaluated on the stretched future light cone of any point in an arbitrary spacetime, not necessarily containing a black hole. The equation can be written as $\rho \Delta V = T \Delta S - p \Delta V$ by regarding the energy-momentum tensor as that of a fluid., Comment: 6 pages, 1 figure, LaTeX

We define the stretched future light cone, a timelike hypersurface composed of the worldlines of radially accelerating observers with constant and uniform proper acceleration. By attributing temperature and entropy to this hypersurface, we derive Einstein's equations from the Clausius relation. Moreover, we show that the gravitational equations of motion for a broad class of diffeomorphism-invariant theories of gravity can be obtained from thermodynamics on the stretched future light cone, provided the Bekenstein-Hawking entropy is replaced by the Wald entropy., Comment: 42 pages, 1 figure, LaTeX; v3. typos fixed, references added, journal version

The null energy condition has sweeping consequences in general relativity. I argue here that it has been misunderstood as a property exclusively of matter, when in fact it arises only in a theory of both matter and gravity. I then derive an equivalent geometric formulation of the null energy condition from worldsheet string theory, where it arises beautifully as simply Einstein's equations in two dimensions. But further, I show that this condition also has a thermodynamic origin, following from a local version of the second law of thermodynamics, applied to gravitational entropy. Thus, far from being an incidental property of matter, the validity of the null energy condition hints at the deep dual origins of gravity., Comment: 11 pages, Int. J. Mod. Phys. D24 (2015) 1544030

We show that effective theories of matter that classically violate the null energy condition cannot be minimally coupled to Einstein gravity without being inconsistent with both string theory and black hole thermodynamics. We argue however that they could still be either non-minimally coupled or coupled to higher-curvature theories of gravity., Comment: 11 pages, LaTeX

We study the power - and bi -spectrum of vacuum fluctuations in a hyperbolic section of de Sitter space, comparing two states of physical interest: the Bunch-Davies and hyperbolic vacuum. We introduce a one -parameter family of de Sitter hyperbolic sections and their natural vacua, and identify a limit in which it reduces to the planar section and the corresponding Bunch -Davies vacuum state. Selecting the Bunch -Davies vacuum for a massless scalar field implies a mixed reduced density matrix in a hyperbolic section of de Sitter space. We stress that in the Bunch -Davies state the hyperbolic de Sitter $n$-point correlation functions have to match the planar de Sitter $n$-point correlation functions. The expressions for the planar and hyperbolic Bunch -Davies correlation functions only appear different because of the transformation from planar to hyperbolic coordinates. Initial state induced deviations from the standard inflationary predictions are instead obtained by considering the pure hyperbolic vacuum, as we verify explicitly by computing the power - and bi -spectrum. For the bi -spectrum in the hyperbolic vacuum we find that the corrections as compared to the standard Bunch -Davies result are not enhanced in specific momentum configurations and strongly suppressed for momenta large compared to the hyperbolic curvature scale. We close with some final remarks, in particular regarding the implications of these results for more realistic inflationary bubble scenarios., Comment: Added references, removed typos, added author, extensions in first section and conclusions. 34 pages, 4 figures

We show that bouncing open or flat Friedmann-Robertson-Walker cosmologies are inconsistent with worldsheet string theory to first approximation. Specifically, the Virasoro constraint translates to the null energy condition in spacetime at leading order in the alpha-prime expansion. Thus one must go beyond minimally-coupled Einstein gravity in order to find bounce solutions., Comment: 11 pages, LaTeX, discussion expanded and references added

In the AdS/CFT correspondence, CFTs are identified by asymptotic boundary surfaces and the boundary conditions imposed on those surfaces. However, AdS can be foliated in various ways to give different boundaries. We show that the CFTs obtained using certain distinct foliations are different. This difference arises because the asymptotic region of a foliation overlaps with the deep interior region of another. In particular we focus on the CFTs defined on surfaces of large constant radius in global coordinates, Rindler-AdS coordinates, and Poincar\'e coordinates for AdS$_3$. We refer to these as global-CFT, Rindler-CFT and Poincar\'e-CFT respectively. We demonstrate that the correlators for these CFTs are different and argue that the bulk duals to these should agree up to very close to the respective horizons but then start differing. Since the BTZ black hole is obtained as a quotient of AdS$_3$, we discuss the implications of our results for bulk duals of periodically-identified Poincar\'e and Rindler-CFTs. Our results are consistent with some recent proposals suggesting a modification of the semi-classical BTZ geometry close to the horizons., Comment: 29 pages, 11 figures

We derive the null energy condition, understood as a constraint on the Einstein-frame Ricci tensor, from worldsheet string theory. For a closed bosonic string propagating in a curved geometry, the spacetime interpretation of the Virasoro constraint condition is precisely the null energy condition, to leading nontrivial order in the alpha-prime expansion. Thus the deepest origin of the null energy condition lies in worldsheet diffeomorphism invariance., Comment: 10 pages, journal version

The topological contribution to black hole entropy of a Gauss-Bonnet term in four dimensions opens up the possibility of a violation of the second law of thermodynamics in black hole mergers. We show, however, that the second law is not violated in the regime where Einstein-Gauss-Bonnet holds as an effective theory and black holes can be treated thermodynamically. For mergers of AdS black holes, the second law appears to be violated even in Einstein gravity; we argue, however, that the second law holds when gravitational potential energy is taken into account., Comment: v2 is the final version as it appears in the journal

The null energy condition, in its usual form, can appear to be violated by transformations in the conformal frame of the metric. We propose a generalization of the form of the null energy condition to Jordan frame, in which matter is non-minimally coupled, which reduces to the familiar form in Einstein frame. Using our version of the null energy condition, we provide a direct proof of the second law of black hole thermodynamics in Jordan frame., Comment: This version to be published in CQG

We obtain all the stationary vacua of de Sitter space by classifying the inequivalent timelike isometries of the de Sitter group. Besides the static vacuum, de Sitter space also admits a family of rotating vacua, which we use to obtain Kerr-de Sitter solutions in various dimensions. By writing the metric in a coordinate system adapted to the rotating Hamiltonian, we show that empty de Sitter space admits not only an observer-dependent horizon but also an observer-dependent ergosphere., Comment: 12 pages

In anti-de Sitter space a highly accelerating observer perceives a Rindler horizon. The two Rindler wedges in AdS_{d+1} are holographically dual to an entangled conformal field theory that lives on two boundaries with geometry R x H_{d-1}. For AdS_3, the holographic duality is especially tractable, allowing quantum-gravitational aspects of Rindler horizons to be probed. We recover the thermodynamics of Rindler-AdS space directly from the boundary conformal field theory. We derive the temperature from the two-point function and obtain the Rindler entropy density precisely, including numerical factors, using the Cardy formula. We also probe the causal structure of the spacetime, and find from the behavior of the one-point function that the CFT "knows" when a source has fallen across the Rindler horizon. This is so even though, from the bulk point of view, there are no local signifiers of the presence of the horizon. Finally, we discuss an alternate foliation of Rindler-AdS which is dual to a CFT living in de Sitter space., Comment: 29 Pages, 4 Figures, citations added

If the Hamiltonian of a quantum field theory is taken to be a timelike isometry, the vacuum state remains empty for all time. We search for such stationary vacua in anti-de Sitter space. By considering conjugacy classes of the Lorentz group, we find interesting one-parameter families of stationary vacua in three-dimensional anti-de Sitter space. In particular, there exists a family of rotating Rindler vacua, labeled by the rotation parameter beta, which are related to the usual Rindler vacuum by non-trivial Bogolubov transformations. Rotating Rindler-AdS space possesses not only an observer-dependent event horizon but even an observer-dependent ergosphere. We also find rotating vacua in global AdS provided a certain region of spacetime is excluded., Comment: 14 pages, LaTeX

The topology of extra dimensions can break global Lorentz invariance,singling out a globally preferred frame even in flat spacetime. Through experiments that probe global topology, an observer can determine her state of motion with respect to the preferred frame. This scenario is realized if we live on a brane universe moving through a flat space with compact extra dimensions. We identify three experimental effects due to the motion of our universe that one could potentially detect using gravitational probes. One of these relates to the peculiar properties of the twin paradox in multiply-connected spacetimes. Another relies on the fact that the Kaluza-Klein modes of any bulk field are sensitive to boundary conditions. A third concerns the modification to the Newtonian potential on a moving brane. Remarkably, we find that even small extra dimensions are detectable by brane observers if the brane is moving sufficiently fast.

To an outside observer, a black hole's event horizon appears to behave exactly like a dynamical fluid membrane. We extend this membrane paradigm to black holes in general $f(R)$ theories of gravity. We derive the stress tensor and various transport coefficients of the fluid and find that the membrane behaves as a non-Newtonian fluid except for the special case of Einstein gravity. Using Euclidean methods, we study the thermodynamics of the membrane. We speculate on what theories of gravity admit horizons with fluid properties.

CMB measurements reveal an unnaturally smooth early universe. We propose a mechanism to make this smoothness natural by weakening the strength of gravity at early times, and therefore altering which initial conditions have low entropy., Comment: 14 pages, 5 figures. Minor changes, version appearing in PLB

We formulate the information paradox in de Sitter space in terms of the no-cloning principle of quantum mechanics. We show that energy conservation puts an upper bound on the maximum entropy available to any de Sitter observer. Combined with a general result on the average information in a quantum subsystem, this guarantees that an observer in de Sitter space cannot obtain even a single bit of information from the de Sitter horizon, thereby preventing any observable violations of the quantum no-cloning principle, in support of observer complementarity., Comment: 9 pages, 2 figures, LaTeX, corrected equation 11

Mach's principle is the concept that inertial frames are determined by matter. We propose and implement a precise formulation of Mach's principle in which matter and geometry are in one-to-one correspondence. Einstein's equations are not modified and no selection principle is applied to their solutions; Mach's principle is realized wholly within Einstein's general theory of relativity. The key insight is the observation that, in addition to bulk matter, one can also add boundary matter. Specification of both boundary and bulk stress tensors uniquely specifies the geometry and thereby the inertial frames. Our framework is similar to that of the black hole membrane paradigm and, in asymptotically AdS space-times, is consistent with holographic duality., Comment: 33 pages, 1 figure

We propose a definition of volume for stationary spacetimes. The proposed volume is independent of the choice of stationary time-slicing, and applies even though the Killing vector may not be globally timelike. Moreover, it is constant in time, as well as simple: the volume of a spherical black hole in four dimensions turns out to be just ${4 \over 3} \pi r_+^3$. We then consider whether it is possible to construct spacetimes that have finite horizon area but infinite volume, by sending the radius to infinity while making discrete identifications to preserve the horizon area. We show that, in three or four dimensions, no such solutions exist that are not inconsistent in some way. We discuss the implications for the interpretation of the Bekenstein-Hawking entropy., Comment: 8 pages, revtex

We investigate the possibility that, in a combined theory of quantum mechanics and gravity, de Sitter space is described by finitely many states. The notion of observer complementarity, which states that each observer has complete but complementary information, implies that, for a single observer, the complete Hilbert space describes one side of the horizon. Observer complementarity is implemented by identifying antipodal states with outgoing states. The de Sitter group acts on S-matrix elements. Despite the fact that the de Sitter group has no nontrivial finite-dimensional unitary representations, we show that it is possible to construct an S-matrix that is finite-dimensional, unitary, and de Sitter-invariant. We present a class of examples that realize this idea holographically in terms of spinor fields on the boundary sphere. The finite dimensionality is due to Fermi statistics and an `exclusion principle' that truncates the orthonormal basis in which the spinor fields can be expanded., Comment: 23 pages, 1 eps figure, LaTeX

Hawking radiation is often intuitively visualized as particles that have tunneled across the horizon. Yet, at first sight, it is not apparent where the barrier is. Here I show that the barrier depends on the tunneling particle itself. The key is to implement energy conservation, so that the black hole contracts during the process of radiation. A direct consequence is that the radiation spectrum cannot be strictly thermal. The correction to the thermal spectrum is of precisely the form that one would expect from an underlying unitary quantum theory. This may have profound implications for the black hole information puzzle., Comment: First prize in the Gravity Research Foundation Essay Competition. 7 pages, LaTex

The finite entropy of de Sitter space suggests that in a theory of quantum gravity there are only finitely many states. It has been argued that in this case there is no action of the de Sitter group consistent with unitarity. In this note we propose a way out of this if we give up the requirement of having a hermitian Hamiltonian. We argue that some of the generators of the de Sitter group act in a novel way, namely by mixing in- and out-states. In this way it is possible to have a unitary S-matrix that is finite-dimensional and, moreover, de Sitter-invariant. Using Dirac spinors, we construct a simple toy model that exhibits these features., Comment: 6 pages, LaTeX

The conservation of energy implies that an isolated radiating black hole cannot have an emission spectrum that is precisely thermal. Moreover, the no-hair theorem is only approximately applicable. We consider the implications for the black hole information puzzle., Comment: 6 pages, LaTex; v2: references added

We show that the amount of particle production in an arbitrary cosmological background can be determined using only the late-time positive-frequency modes. We don't refer to modes at early times, so there is no need for a Bogolubov transformation. We also show that particle production can be extracted from the Feynman propagator in an auxiliary spacetime. This provides a first-quantized formalism for computing particle production which, unlike conventional Bogolubov transformations, may be amenable to a string-theoretic generalization., Comment: 18 pages, LaTeX; v2: significantly revised for clarity; conclusions unchanged

We propose that for every event in de Sitter space, there is a CPT-conjugate event at its antipode. Such an ``elliptic'' $Z_2$-identification of de Sitter space provides a concrete realization of observer complementarity: every observer has complete information. It is possible to define the analog of an S-matrix for quantum gravity in elliptic de Sitter space that is measurable by all observers. In a holographic description, S-matrix elements may be represented by correlation functions of a dual (conformal field) theory that lives on the single boundary sphere. S-matrix elements are de Sitter-invariant, but have different interpretations for different observers. We argue that Hilbert states do not necessarily form representations of the full de Sitter group, but just of the subgroup of rotations. As a result, the Hilbert space can be finite-dimensional and still have positive norm. We also discuss the elliptic interpretation of de Sitter space in the context of type IIB* string theory., Comment: LaTeX, 31 pages; v2: some points clarified, expanded section on string realization, minor corrections, references added

We introduce a simple coordinate system covering half of de Sitter space. The new coordinates have several attractive properties: the time direction is a Killing vector, the metric is smooth at the horizon, and constant-time slices are just flat Euclidean space. We demonstrate the usefulness of the coordinates by calculating the rate at which particles tunnel across the horizon. When self-gravitation is taken into account, the resulting tunneling rate is only approximately thermal. The effective temperature decreases through the emission of radiation., Comment: LaTeX, 10 pages; v2. references added; v3. minor sign errors fixed, reference added, journal version

We find explicitly the induced graviton propagator on de Sitter branes embedded in various five-dimensional spacetimes; de Sitter branes in AdS and Minkowski space are particular cases. By studying the structure of the momentum-space propagator, we are able to extract interesting physics, much of which is qualitatively different from that of flat branes. We find that 1) there can be a set of graviton-like particles which mediate brane gravity at different scales; 2) localized gravity can exist even on de Sitter branes in Minkowski space; 3) Kaluza-Klein modes also contribute to conventional 4-D gravity for de Sitter branes in AdS; and 4) Newton's constant can vary considerably with scale. We comment on the implications for the effective cosmological constant., Comment: 15 pages, latex, 1 figure; added appendix of useful Legendre formulas, minor modifications, more references, to appear in Phys. Lett. B

This thesis addresses some classical and semi-classical aspects of black holes using an effective membrane representation of the event horizon. The classical "membrane paradigm" equations are derived from an underlying action formulation, even though the equations are dissipative. It is shown how the membrane action can also account for the hole's entropy, including the numerical factor. Two short derivations of Hawking radiation are then presented, the first based on particles in a dynamical geometry and the second on the membrane. The calculations obey conservation laws and lead to a correction to the thermal spectrum. Finally, a possible Penrose diagram for the formation and evaporation of a charged black hole is given, with the property that the post-evaporation spacetime is predictable from initial conditions, provided that the dynamics of the time-like singularity can be calculated., Comment: LaTeX, 81 pages, 1 figure

We present a short and direct derivation of Hawking radiation as a tunneling process, based on particles in a dynamical geometry. The imaginary part of the action for the classically forbidden process is related to the Boltzmann factor for emission at the Hawking temperature. Because the derivation respects conservation laws, the exact spectrum is not precisely thermal. We compare and contrast the problem of spontaneous emission of charged particles from a charged conductor., Comment: LaTeX, 10 pages; v2. journal version, added section on relation of black hole radiation to electric charge emission from a charged conducting sphere; v3. restored cut reference

By extending the charged Vaidya metric to cover all of spacetime, we obtain a Penrose diagram for the formation and evaporation of a charged black hole. In this construction, the singularity is time-like. The entire spacetime can be predicted from initial conditions if boundary conditions at the singularity are known., Comment: LaTeX, 10 pages, 1 figure; v2: references added, uncorrupted figure file

The membrane paradigm is the remarkable view that, to an external observer, a black hole appears to behave exactly like a dynamical fluid membrane, obeying such pre-relativistic equations as Ohm's law and the Navier-Stokes equation. It has traditionally been derived by manipulating the equations of motion. Here we provide an action formulation of this picture, clarifying what underlies the paradigm, and simplifying the derivations. Within this framework, we derive previous membrane results, and extend them to dyonic black hole solutions. We discuss how it is that an action can produce dissipative equations. Using a Euclidean path integral, we show that familiar semi-classical thermodynamic properties of black holes also emerge from the membrane action. Finally, in a Hamiltonian description, we establish the validity of a minimum entropy production principle for black holes., Comment: LaTeX, 30 Pages, minor editorial changes