Evaporating Black Holes, New Quantum Analogues, and a Breakdown of Classicality - Sebastian Zell

Abstract: After an introduction to black hole evaporation, I will review that Hawking's calculation of particle production is based on the semi-classical limit of a fixed metric. This approximation can break down after a finite time as the black hole evolves due to back-reaction. Therefore, I shall argue that two far-reaching questions remain to be answered:
(1) How long is the semi-classical description valid?
(2) What happens after a potential breakdown?
Attempting to answer them, I will subsequently present simple analogue systems which share important quantum properties of a black hole, such as its entropy. Numerical non-perturbative time evolution reveals indications that (1) the semi-classical description can break down long before half of the mass is lost and that (2) evaporation slows down drastically at this point. As a particular consequence, small primordial black holes can both become viable dark matter candidates and provide a unique window on quantum gravity.