arXiv subjects

Robert B. Mann

Publications and source records attributed to Robert B. Mann.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Holographic complexity of de Sitter black holes

We investigate holographic complexity within the Schwarzschild-de Sitter (SdS) black hole spacetime. Two distinct de Sitter holography prescriptions are examined: the static patch scheme restricted to the stretched horizon and the de Sitter/Conformal Field Theory (dS/CFT) correspondence scheme defined at asymptotic future and past infinities. We evaluate the Complexity equals Volume (CV) conjecture and extend the analysis to codimension-zero proposals, specifically Complexity equals Spacetime Volume (CV2.0) and Complexity equals Action (CA), through the Wheeler-DeWitt (WDW) patch we construct. The behaviors of the complexity in the static patch holography at late time and in the dS/CFT at infinite spacelike boundary coordinate are studied, respectively. We find that under both the CV and CV2.0 conjectures, the static patch holographic complexity and the dS/CFT holographic complexity consistently exhibit linear growth. Conversely, regarding the CA conjecture, the holographic complexity growth rates for both the static patch and the dS/CFT correspondence vanish. This behavior is attributed to the finiteness of the (regularized) action within the restricted WDW region. Furthermore, we find that, in the limit in which the boundary coordinate is taken to infinity, the complexity growth rate in the static patch prescription coincides with its counterpart in the dS/CFT prescription. This agreement suggests a deeper connection between the two descriptions and may point toward a unified understanding of bulk dynamics in de Sitter holography.

hep-th↗

arXiv2026

Gravitational equal-area law and critical phenomena of cuspy black hole shadow

The formation of a cusp on a black hole shadow is a striking signature of physics beyond the Kerr paradigm. Using the Konoplya-Zhidenko metric, a general parametrized deformation of Kerr black hole, we demonstrate that this morphological change fundamentally alters the shadow's topology with the topological charge flipping from 1 to -1. To analyze this topological transition, we introduce a gravitational equal-area law, analogous to Maxwell's construction in thermodynamics, and identify a critical point for cusp formation. Near this point, we uncover universal behavior characterized by a critical exponent 1/2, which places this gravitational lensing system within the mean-field universality class. These results establish a new framework for testing fundamental physics of black hole shadows, reframing the search for deviations from general relativity as a targeted hunt for a distinct topological and critical phenomenon.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2026

On the Classical, Penrose, and Reverse Isoperimetric Inequalities in Black Holes: Insights From AdS to Flat Riemannian Backgrounds

A collection of evidence is presented showing that the conjectured reverse isoperimetric inequality (RII) for asymptotically anti-de Sitter (AdS) as well as de Sitter (dS) black holes, ${\cal R}_\text{RII} \ge 1$, is of fundamental importance and its violation (${\cal R}_\text{RII} < 1$) gives rise to either thermodynamic instabilities, or physically unreasonable solutions, or naked singularities. We show that AdS black holes violating reverse isoperimetric inequality, known as superentropic black holes, satisfy neither mechanical stability requirement of ${κ_T} \geqslant {κ_S} \geqslant 0$ nor thermal stability requirement of ${C_P} \geqslant {C_V} \geqslant 0$. This property makes them thermodynamically unstable for the whole range of parameter space and explains all the diverse behaviors so far reported. We conjecture this statement holds for all superentropic black holes. We confirm that there is no counterexample to the thermodynamic instability conjecture of superentropic black holes and extend this to dS space by presenting the first example of superentropicity in dS space. By bringing evidence, we then propose two other conjectures: 1) there is no asymptotically flat limit of superentropic black holes, and 2) there exist two stronger versions of Penrose isoperimetric inequality (PII) for asymptotically flat black holes; the first is the asymptotically flat limit of the RII and the second is a new inequality in terms of the ADM mass and the thermodynamics volume, that we call thermo-volumetric inequality, obtained via insights from the $Λ\to 0$ limit of extended black hole thermodynamics in AdS. We show that the Penrose isoperimetric inequality (PII) is weaker than the reverse isoperimetric inequality (RII), as demonstrated explicitly for $D=4,5$ and for all black hole families we have examined.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2026

Unitary evolution of an evaporating black hole in canonical quantum gravity

We propose a framework for understanding the information loss paradox in the context of canonical quantum gravity. We first revisit several approaches to black hole evaporation that do not involve an event horizon. In these models, we assume that each time slice corresponds to a coherent state in the gravitational phase space. Due to this property, the quantum state associated with a given spatial configuration will have a nonzero overlap with another spatial configuration. We show how this property can account for both semi-classical dynamics and unitary time evolution. We introduce an explicit toy model that follows semi-classical time evolution at the coarse-grained level; in addition, its time evolution is unitary at the fine-grained level. The only price that one must pay is the violation of the entropy bound; we discuss reasons why this may be justifiable.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2026

Finite stress-tensor moment tomography of boundary-graviton coherences

Einstein gravity in 2+1 dimensions is a topological theory that does not admit the existence of local bulk gravitons. However, $\mathrm{AdS}_3$ gravity with Brown-Henneaux boundary conditions does admit the existence of boundary gravitons, which are described by Virasoro descendants. An observer living on the asymptotic boundary can use finite order moments of the boundary stress tensor as a probe of these states. We fix one highest-weight module and assume that the Shapovalov forms are nondegenerate. We also assume that the unknown state the observer is probing has a known finite descendant support and that interlevel coherence is part of the unknown data. We find that, given a descendant at level $N\geq2$, stress moment tomography at order $N$ (meaning $N$ stress moment insertions) is informationally incomplete, while tomography with stress moments of order $N+1$ is informationally complete. This is to say that, on the unitary regular locus, orthogonal pure states can have the same complete order-$N$ record. Likewise, for exact finite-window result for levels through $L\geq2$, tomography of order $L$ is incomplete while tomography of order $L+1$ recovers every density-matrix block. Corresponding exact thresholds hold in the full left-right theory. In heavy sectors for which a semiclassical bulk interpretation exists, these thresholds say when finite-support boundary-graviton states first become distinguishable.

hep-th↗

arXiv2026

Comment on Stellar structure and stability of charged interacting quark stars and their scaling behavior

We comment on an error in the charged quark star literature ( Phys. Rev. D, 102(3):034031, 2020 ) that resulted in erroneous solutions to the radial stability equations for charged interacting quark stars in ( Phys. Rev. D, 104(12):123007, 2021 )[2]. In this comment article we recalculate the fundamental radial eigenfrequencies for charged, interacting quark stars in general relativity and discuss any departure from previous results [2]. Most of the qualitative trends persist, but the magnitudes of the separation between the maximum mass and stability points on a given branch can change significantly. We also note that all branches in [2] that contained no stable solutions now have stable solutions in their corrected counterparts. The net effect is that in all of the studied cases charged quark stars have a greater range of stability than originally predicted. We also compare four recent observational constraints not included in previous studies, and find that these constraints are satisfied by a subset of the mass-radius relations we obtain.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2026

Multicritical points of gravitational solitons and a black hole in four dimensions

We present the first realization of multicritical points in four-dimensional general relativity, specifically within the context of Plebański nonlinear electrodynamics, using a polynomial structural function denoted as $\mathcal{H}(P)$. We show that this construction provides a systematic mechanism to engineer multicritical behavior in gravitational systems. By establishing an explicit mapping between matter theories expressed as power series in the Maxwell invariant $F$ and the Plebański formulation, we construct new families of electrically charged asymptotically anti-de Sitter black holes and magnetically charged solitons. In the grand-canonical ensemble, we analyze their thermodynamic properties and uncover a rich phase structure. We demonstrate that the soliton sector develops multiple swallowtail structures, signaling first-order phase transitions and allowing the coexistence of several magnetically charged solitons with a single electrically charged black hole. These configurations define multicritical points that generalize previously known triple points. We further show that the number of coexisting phases is controlled by the degree of the polynomial structural function, providing a direct link between the nonlinear electrodynamics couplings and the thermodynamic phase structure. In contrast, the black hole branch does not display swallowtail behavior, and it does not allow multiple electrically charged black holes to coexist with a magnetically charged soliton.

hep-th↗

arXiv2026

Two-Horizon Sector Thermodynamics as a Diagnostic for the Bi-Hair Organization of NUT Charge

After decades without a fully self-consistent thermodynamic formulation, recent proposals for Lorentzian Taub-NUT spacetime have yielded several inequivalent descriptions, each satisfying its own first law and Smarr relation, leaving unresolved which formulation is physically preferred. In this Letter we introduce a two-horizon diagnostic whose sector temperatures are fixed by harmonic mean relations before the thermodynamic variables are chosen. For uncharged Taub-NUT, the sum sector closes with the mass and NUT charge, whereas, within the restricted homogeneous class examined here, the difference sector requires the thermodynamic secondary hair $J_n=mn$. This result supports a bi-hair thermodynamic organization of the NUT parameter through $N=n$ and $J_n=mn$. Furthermore, this two-horizon framework offers a new route toward addressing similar thermodynamic nonuniqueness in other two-horizon systems when the first law and Smarr relation alone do not identify a physically preferred formulation.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2026

Probing holographic conformal field theories

We embed relativistic quantum information protocols in AdS/CFT: an Unruh-DeWitt detector coupled to a local primary of a holographic CFT has a reduced state fixed by the universal boundary Wightman function. We find that the mana generated in a qutrit probe reads off the boundary condition of the dual bulk scalar, de-excitation spectroscopy tracks the double-trace flow through the lowest cylinder gap, and a local boundary detector is inequivalent to the HKLL representation of a bulk-local one.

hep-th↗

arXiv2026

Soliton-Black Hole Phase Transitions in the Presence of String Clouds

We study soliton-black hole phase transitions in asymptotically AdS planar spacetimes sourced by a cloud of strings. In the planar background, the string cloud exhibits a brush-like configuration, where the strings are aligned parallel to each other and extend along the radial direction. This leads to a stress tensor with nonvanishing components only along the temporal and radial directions. By comparing the Euclidean on-shell actions of the planar black hole and the corresponding AdS soliton under the same boundary conditions, we obtain the free energy difference between the two phases. Our results show that the string cloud parameter significantly modifies the competition between the black hole phase and the soliton phase. In particular, positive and negative values of the string cloud parameter affect the phase structure in different ways, changing the dominance relation between the black hole and soliton configurations.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2026

Entanglement transference and non-inertial quantum reference frames

Given the recent interest in perspectival quantum reference frames (QRFs), we ask how quantum properties in the perspectival picture relate to their global (non-perspectival) counterparts. Such a connection could allow established quantum information to be understood from the perspective of QRFs. Specifically, we find sufficient conditions under which global entanglement decomposes into a combination of perspectival entanglement and coherence -- a phenomenon that we call entanglement transference. We apply this result to non-inertial QRFs, revisiting the problem of acceleration-induced entanglement degradation. We find that entanglement degradation in the perspectival picture can be offset by an increase in coherence resources. This novel insight into (relativistic) quantum resource transformations suggests that QRFs may play a useful role in understanding more general quantum resource and quantum information phenomena.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2026

From (Hidden) Symmetries to Stealth Solutions

In a recent paper, Arxiv:2605.23077, we have demonstrated that (conformal) Killing vectors give rise to stealth vector solutions of a specific bumblebee-type Proca theory supplemented by fine tuned curvature terms. Here we show that such a construction readily generalizes to hidden symmetries encoded in (conformal) Killing-Yano tensors, giving rise to the corresponding p-form stealth solutions. Similar to what happens with Killing vectors, the construction works on any background, providing a "physical visualization" of its symmetries. Several examples of spacetimes with so constructed p-form stealth hair are presented.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2026

Quantum coherent dynamics of quasiclassical spacetimes

In a wide range of quantum gravity theories, quasiclassical geometries, which are solutions to the Einstein field equations approximately, are described by "coherent states." Here we propose a Hamiltonian formalism for gravitational dynamics with respect to this coherent state basis, which generates time evolution of the spacetime with respect to a clock at infinity. Since the coherent states are not orthogonal, an initial quasiclassical geometry is dynamically driven into a superposition of different amplitudes. Our framework provides a dynamical mechanism for tunneling between geometries that is ubiquitous in a number of approaches to quantum gravity, from loop quantum gravity to the Euclidean path integral. We apply our framework to the problem of black hole evaporation, providing a hint at how unitarity may be preserved with the inclusion of quantum corrections to the semiclassical evolution of the black hole.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2026

Vacuum entanglement probes for ultra-cold atom systems

This study explores the transfer of nonclassical correlations from an ultra-cold atom system to a pair of pulsed laser beams. Through nondestructive local probe measurements, we introduce an alternative to destructive techniques for mapping BEC entanglement. Operating at ultralow temperatures, the setup emulates a relativistic vacuum field. We show that lasers can serve as Unruh-DeWitt detectors for BEC vacuum phonons. A quantum vacuum holds intrinsic entanglement, transferable to distant probes briefly interacting with it - a phenomenon termed `entanglement harvesting'. Our study accomplishes two primary objectives: first, establishing a mathematical equivalence between a pair of pulsed laser probes interacting with an effective relativistic field and the entanglement harvesting protocol; and second, to closely examine the potential and persisting obstacles for realising this protocol in an ultra-cold atom experiment.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2026

Dyonic Quark Stars in Quasi-Topological Electromagnetism

In this paper we consider quark star solutions to Liu et al.'s \cite{Liu_2019} quasi-topological electromagnetism (QTEM), a recently proposed form of dark energy. Since the QTEM contribution is trivial for pure electric/magnetic charge, we consider the dyonic case in pure QTEM which does induce (dark) non-trivial dynamics from the non-linear theory. Besides the introduction of a dyonic charge distribution generally pushing the characteristic quark star `hook' shape to larger masses and radii, it also induces a second branch at very large mass and radius for stars with a small dyonic charge ratio. This second set of solutions have a negative pressure envelope surrounding a positive pressure core. As we explore the parameter space these features interact and evolve in interesting ways, with the two branches eventually merging in $M/R$ space before settling into a characteristic `paperclip' shape as the dyonic charge ratio becomes large.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2026

Proca-type Hair of Rotating Black Holes in Higher Dimensions

We show that spacetime symmetries on any background give rise to stealth vector fields obeying Proca-type equations supplemented by curvature terms. This observation, which is true for solutions of any theory of gravity and with arbitrary matter content, effectively promotes spacetime symmetries to "physical fields" whose characteristic property is that their backreaction on the geometry vanishes. In particular, this allows one to construct exact Proca hair charged and magnetized rotating black holes in all dimensions. In fact, such a construction is not limited to Killing vector fields and equally works for conformal Killing vectors and hidden symmetries encoded in Killing-Yano tensors.

hep-th↗

arXiv2026

Nonperturbative Danielson-Satishchandran-Wald Decoherence with Unruh-DeWitt detectors

Recently, Danielson, Satishchandran, and Wald (DSW) have proposed a novel source of decoherence for uniformly accelerated charges and masses in spatial superposition in spacetimes containing a bifurcating Killing horizon. Such an effect can be traced back to the emission and absorption of soft photons and gravitons, which effectively act as "which-path'' information probes. This results in the decoherence of any such superposition in a finite proper time. With this in mind, we study the DSW mechanism using a gapless finite-time detector prepared in a spatial superposition of uniformly accelerated paths in Minkowski spacetime that interacts with a massive scalar field. The calculation is nonperturbative. Such a model will enable us to analyze the decoherence process in a more controlled manner, highlighting the main factors that give rise to this interesting mechanism.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2026

Conformal versus non-conformal two-Higgs-doublet model: phase transitions and gravitational waves

In this work we investigate the CP-conserving two-Higgs-doublet model (2HDM) in two realizations: a classically conformal setup (C2HDM) and a non-conformal setup with explicit tree-level quadratic mass terms (NC2HDM). Imposing current theoretical and experimental constraints, we scan the parameter space and analyse the electroweak first-order phase-transition dynamics from the finite-temperature effective potential, determining the relevant thermodynamic scales and the associated parameters $α$ and $β/H_*$. In the resulting $(α, β/H_*)$ phase diagrams, the NC2HDM spans a substantially broader region and hosts the strongest transitions, whereas the C2HDM is confined to a nested, weaker-transition subset. This challenges the common expectation that classical conformal symmetry generically implies deep supercooling. By relaxing the Higgs-mass identification and varying the scalon mass, we show that sizable supercooling is obtained only when the radiative (one-loop) breaking of scale invariance is sufficiently mild, i.e. for a light scalon. We then compute the resulting stochastic gravitational-wave spectra and show that only the NC2HDM yields benchmark points potentially observable by future space-based interferometers such as LISA, TianQin and Taiji (and, in favourable cases, by more sensitive missions such as DECIGO/BBO).

hep-ph↗