The postulates of gravitational thermodynamics

The postulates of gravitational thermodynamics.

The general principles and logical structure of a thermodynamic formalism that incorporates strongly self-gravitating systems are presented. This framework generalizes and simplifies the formulation of thermodynamics developed by Callen. The definition of extensive variables, the homogeneity properties of intensive parameters, and the fundamental problem of gravitational thermodynamics are disc...

Gravitational thermodynamics

The gravitational N -body problem, for N > 2, is the oldest unsolved problem in mathematical physics. Some of the most ideal examples that can be found in nature are globular star clusters, with N ∼ 10. In this overview, I discuss six types of fundamental sources of unpredictability, each of which poses a different challenge to attempts to determine the long-term behavior of these systems, gove...

Classical thermodynamics of gravitational collapse

The Library of Babel: On the origin of gravitational thermodynamics

We show that heavy pure states of gravity can appear to be mixed states to almost all probes. For AdS5 Schwarzschild black holes, our arguments are made using the field theory dual to string theory in such spacetimes. Our results follow from applying information theoretic notions to field theory operators capable of describing very heavy states in gravity. For half-BPS states of the theory whic...

Gravitational Entropy and the Second Law of Thermodynamics

The spontaneous violation of Lorentz and diffeomorphism invariance in a phase near the big bang lowers the entropy, allowing for an arrow of time and the second law of thermodynamics. The spontaneous symmetry breaking leads to O(3, 1) → O(3) × R, where O(3) is the rotational symmetry of the Friedmann–Lemaître–Robertson–Walker spacetime. The Weyl curvature tensor Cμνρσ vanishes in the FLRW space...