Hawking Radiation and Black Hole Thermodynamics

TL;DR

This work surveys Hawking radiation and black hole thermodynamics from a historical and technical perspective, detailing the Kerr-Newman emission spectrum, the Generalized Second Law, and proposed microscopic descriptions of black-hole entropy. It emphasizes how emission formulas and entropy accounting rely on mode-dependent absorption and thermality, and it discusses the robustness and limits of the GSL under various assumptions and coarse-graining schemes. The review also covers logarithmic corrections to the Bekenstein-Hawking entropy, highlighting that coefficients depend on the chosen ensemble and definitions of entropy, with significant implications for quantum gravity. Overall, the paper clarifies current understanding and key open questions about the microscopic origin of black-hole entropy and the role of quantum gravity in resolving information-thermodynamics tensions.

Abstract

An inexhaustive review of Hawking radiation and black hole thermodynamics is given, focusing especially upon some of the historical aspects as seen from the biased viewpoint of a minor player in the field on and off for the past thirty years.