Thermodynamics of Anomaly-Driven Cosmology

Abstract

The Friedmann equations of general relativity can be derived from the first law of thermodynamics when the entropy of the apparent horizon of a spatially isotropic universe is given by the Bekenstein-Hawking entropy. We point out that if the entropy of the apparent horizon receives a logarithmic correction, the first law of thermodynamics leads to a modified Friedmann equation which corresponds precisely to the time-time component of the semi-classical Einstein field equations sourced by the trace anomaly of ${\cal{N}}=4$ U(N) super-Yang-Mills theory. This correspondence allows for a thermodynamic description of the dynamics of the Randall-Sundrum braneworld scenario.