Black hole horizons can hide positive heat capacity

Abstract Regarding the volume as independent thermodynamic variable we point out that black hole horizons can hide positive heat capacity and specific heat. Such horizons are mechanically marginal, but thermally stable. In the absence of a canonical volume definition, we consider various suggestions scaling differently with the horizon radius. Assuming Euler-homogeneity of the entropy, besides the Hawking temperature, a pressure and a corresponding work term render the equation of state at the horizon thermally stable for any meaningful volume concept that scales larger than the horizon area. When considering also a Stefan–Boltzmann radiation like equation of state at the horizon, only one possible solution emerges: the Christodoulou–Rovelli volume, scaling as V ∼ R 5 , with an entropy S = 8 3 S B H .