Path-integral derivation of black-hole radiance

Abstract

The Feynman path-integral method is applied to the quantum mechanics of a scalar particle moving in the background geometry of a Schwarzschild black hole. The amplitude for the black hole to emit a scalar particle in a particular mode is expressed as a sum over paths connecting the future singularity and infinity. By analytic continuation in the complexified Schwarzschild space this amplitude is related to that for a particle to propagate from the past singularity to infinity and hence by time reversal to the amplitude for the black hole to absorb a particle in the same mode. The form of the connection between the emission and absorption probabilities shows that a Schwarzschild black hole will emit scalar particles with a thermal spectrum characterized by a temperature which is related to its mass, $M$, by $T=\frac{\hslash c^3}{8\pi }\mathrm{GMk}$. Thereby a conceptually simple derivation of black-hole radiance is obtained. The extension of this result to other spin fields and other black-hole geometries is discussed.