Emergence and correspondence for string theory black holes

Open Access
Authors
Publication date 02-2020
Journal Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part B - Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics
Volume | Issue number 69
Pages (from-to) 112-127
Organisations
  • Faculty of Science (FNWI) - Institute of Physics (IoP) - Institute for Theoretical Physics Amsterdam (ITFA)
  • Amsterdam University College (AUC)
Abstract

This is one of a pair of papers that give a historical-cum-philosophical analysis of the endeavour to understand black hole entropy as a statistical mechanical entropy obtained by counting string-theoretic microstates. Both papers focus on Andrew Strominger and Cumrun Vafa's ground-breaking 1996 calculation, which analysed the black hole in terms of D-branes. The first paper gives a conceptual analysis of the Strominger-Vafa argument, and of several research efforts that it engendered. In this paper, we assess whether the black hole should be considered as emergent from the D-brane system, particularly in light of the role that duality plays in the argument. We further identify uses of the quantum-to-classical correspondence principle in string theory discussions of black holes, and compare these to the heuristics of earlier efforts in theory construction, in particular those of the old quantum theory.

Document type Article
Language English
Related publication Conceptual analysis of black hole entropy in string theory
Published at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.shpsb.2019.11.002
Published at https://arxiv.org/abs/1904.03234
Other links https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85072969801
Downloads
1904.03234 (Submitted manuscript)
Permalink to this page
Back