Abstract
In this contribution we describe some interesting interplay between quantum theory, general relativity and thermodynamics. In order to highlight the connection between these theories, we describe two approaches that allow to calculate thermal features as perceived by different observers in curved spacetimes. the tunnelling method and the Unruh-DeWitt detector. In this context, the semi-classical tunnelling approach is applied to the issue of Hawking radiation and allows the calculation of the horizon temperature in a wide variety of scenarios. The Unruh-DeWitt model is instead a quantum field-theoretical approach that should give a more exact answer in terms of transition rates between energy levels of an idealized detector.
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Notes
- 1.
See [10] for details of both methods and a discussion on why the H-J method is preferable.
- 2.
The choice of the sign in the prescription is related to the choice of positive-energy particles propagating towards infinity.
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Acknowledgments
GA would like to thank Luciano Vanzo, Sergio Zerbini and Roberto Di Criscienzo for valuable discussions and groupwork that lead to the results presented in this contribution.
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Acquaviva, G. (2016). Tunnelling Methods and Unruh-DeWitt Detectors in Curved Spacetimes. In: Nicolini, P., Kaminski, M., Mureika, J., Bleicher, M. (eds) 1st Karl Schwarzschild Meeting on Gravitational Physics. Springer Proceedings in Physics, vol 170. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-20046-0_38
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