One-loop partition function of gravity with leaky boundary conditions

Abstract

Leaky boundary conditions in asymptotically AdS spacetimes are relevant to discuss black hole evaporation and the evolution of the Page curve via the island formula. We explore the consequences of leaky boundary conditions on the one-loop partition function of gravity. We focus on JT gravity minimally coupled to a scalar field whose normalizable and non-normalizable modes are both turned on, allowing for leakiness through the AdS boundary. Classically, this yields a flux-balance law relating the scalar news to the time derivative of the mass. Semi-classically, we argue that the usual diffeomorphism-invariant measure is ill-defined, suggesting that the area-non-preserving diffeomorphisms are broken at one loop. We calculate the associated anomaly and its implication on the gravitational Gauss law. Finally, we generalize our arguments to higher dimensions and dS.