Vortex-antivortex pair creation in black hole thermodynamics

An isolated critical point is a peculiar thermodynamic critical point that occurs in the phase diagram of hyperbolic black holes in Kth-order Lovelock gravity in higher dimensions (with K odd) for special tuned Lovelock coupling constants. It corresponds to a merger of two swallowtails and is characterized by nonstandard critical exponents. Upon employing a recent proposal for assigning a topological charge to thermodynamic critical points, we argue that the isolated critical point offers an interpretation corresponding to the onset of a topological phase transition of a vortex-antivortex pair.

Automated summary

An isolated critical point refers to a unique thermodynamic critical point in higher dimensions of Kth-order Lovelock gravity with hyperbolic black holes, achieved by fine-tuning Lovelock coupling constants. It represents the merging of two swallowtails and exhibits unconventional critical exponents. By applying a recent proposal for topological charge assignment to thermodynamic critical points, the isolated critical point is suggested to indicate the onset of a topological phase transition of a vortex-antivortex pair.