Slowly evolving horizons in perturbative general relativity

Abstract

A motivation is made for a quasi-equilibrium set of black hole thermodynamic laws on the merit that they, being analogous to thermodynamics, are more physical than current formulations. Black hole formalisms are reviewed and it is determined that the trapping horizon is sufficient to formulate a slowly evolving horizon regime. A summary of this formalism and the accompanying thermodynamic laws are stated. To be slowly evolving, a horizon must meet certain general conditions and those conditions from [1] are stated. A particular spacetime, to be considered slowly evolving, must satisfy these conditions and they must translate to physically meaningful restrictions. Three spacetimes are checked to see that they are slowly evolving horizons. For all three spacetimes, the conditions are met and the zeroth and first laws are then confirmed to hold.