On the nonequilibrium dynamics of gravitational algebras

Abstract We explore nonequilibrium features of certain operator algebras which appear in quantum gravity. The algebra of observables in a black hole background is a Type <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" overflow="scroll"><mml:mrow><mml:msub><mml:mrow><mml:mi>II</mml:mi></mml:mrow><mml:mi mathvariant="normal">∞</mml:mi></mml:msub></mml:mrow></mml:math> von Neumann algebra. We discuss how this algebra can be coupled to the algebra of observable of an infinite reservoir within the canonical ensemble, aiming to induce nonequilibrium dynamics. The resulting dynamics can lead the system towards a nonequilibrium steady state which can be characterized through modular theory. Within this framework we address the definition of entropy production and its relationship to relative entropy, alongside exploring other applications.