The tunneling effect near a weakly isolated horizon (WIH) has been studied. By applying the null geodesic method of Parikh and Wilczek and the Hamilton-Jacibi method of Angheben et al. to a WIH, we recover the semiclassical emission rate in the tunneling process. We show that the tunneling effect exists in a wide class of space-times admitting weakly isolated horizons. The general thermodynamic nature of WIH is then confirmed.

• Received 20 December 2006

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.75.044027