Accelerated Observers, Thermal Entropy, and Spacetime Curvature

preprint2016arXivOpen access

Abstract

Assuming that an accelerated observer with four-velocity uR{\bf u}_{\rm R} in a curved spacetime attributes the standard Bekenstein-Hawking entropy and Unruh temperature to his "local Rindler horizon", we show that the change\rm \it change in horizon area under parametric displacements of the horizon has a very specific thermodynamic structure. Specifically, it entails information about the time-time component of the Einstein tensor: G(uR,uR)\bf G({\bf u}_{\rm R}, {\bf u}_{\rm R}). Demanding that the result holds for all accelerated observers, this actually becomes a statement about the full Einstein tensor, G\rm \bf G. We also present some perspectives on the free fall with four-velocity uff{\bf u}_{\rm ff} across the horizon that leads to such a loss of entropy for an accelerated observer. Motivated by results for some simple quantum systems at finite temperature TT, we conjecture that at high temperatures, there exists a universal, system-independent curvature correction to partition function and thermal entropy of any\rm \it any freely falling system, characterised by the dimensional quantity Δ=R(uff,uff)(ℏc/kT)2Δ= {\bf R({\bf u}_{\rm ff}, {\bf u}_{\rm ff})} \left(\hbar c/kT \right)^2.

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