The infinite-dimensional symmetries of the black hole horizon

Gaston Giribet (Universidad de Buenos Aires/Brandeis University)

In this talk, I will discuss an intriguing symmetry that appears in the near horizon region of black holes, which turns out to be generated by an infinite-dimensional algebra. The set of conserved charges associated to such symmetry happens to obey the same algebra (the so-called BMS algebra), and therefore it yields an infinite number of new conservation laws. I will show how in the case of stationary black holes the zero-modes of these charges are the only ones that contribute, and how they carry information about the thermodynamical properties of the non-extremal black holes. Recent speculations about the use of these symmetries to solve the information black hole puzzle will also be discussed.