Holographic heat engines: general considerations and rotating black holes. (28th July 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Hennigar, Robie A; McCarthy, Fiona; Ballon, Alvaro; Mann, Robert B
• Is Part Of: Classical and quantum gravity. Volume 34:Number 17(2017:Sep.)
• Publication Date: 2017-07-28
• Subjects: black holes -- thermodynamics -- heat engines -- higher curvature gravity -- higher dimensional gravity; Quantum gravity -- Periodicals; Gravitation -- Periodicals; Relativity (Physics) -- Periodicals; Space and time -- Periodicals; Periodicals; 521.1
• DOI: 10.1088/1361-6382/aa7f0f
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0264-9381

Abstract

Abstract: We perform the first study of holographic heat engines where the working material is a rotating black hole, obtaining exact results for the efficiency of a rectangular engine cycle. We also make general considerations in the context of benchmarking these engines on circular cycles. We find an exact expression that is valid for black holes with vanishing specific heat at constant volume and derive an upper bound, below the Carnot efficiency and independent of spacetime dimension, which holds for any black hole of this kind. We illustrate our results with applications to a variety of black holes, noting the effects of spacetime dimension, rotation, and higher curvature corrections on the efficiency of the cycle.