A brief history of Hawking's information paradox
Xavier Calmet, Stephen D. H. Hsu
Abstract
Abstract In this invited review, we describe Hawking's information paradox and a recently proposed resolution of it. Explicit calculations demonstrate the existence of quantum hair on black holes, meaning that the quantum state of the external graviton field depends on the internal state of the black hole. Simple quantum mechanics then implies that Hawking radiation amplitudes depend on the internal state, resulting in a pure final radiation state that preserves unitarity and, importantly, violates a factorization assumption which is central to the original paradox. Black hole information is encoded in entangled macroscopic superposition states of the radiation.
Topics & Concepts
Black hole information paradoxHawking radiationBlack hole complementarityPhysicsBlack hole (networking)UnitarityGravitonTheoretical physicsBlack hole thermodynamicsMicro black holeQuantum mechanicsHawkingGravitationPlanckEntropy (arrow of time)Computer scienceLink-state routing protocolRouting (electronic design automation)Computer networkRouting protocolBlack Holes and Theoretical PhysicsCosmology and Gravitation TheoriesQuantum Electrodynamics and Casimir Effect