Universality class of alternative phase space and Van der Waals criticality

Abstract: A new perspective toward thermodynamic phase space of Reisser-Nordstrom (RN) black holes in an anti-de-Sitter (AdS) spaces was recently proposed [Phys. Lett. B 768 (2017) 235], where the square of the electric charge $(Q^2)$ of black hole was regarded as a thermodynamic variable and the cosmological constant (pressure) as a fixed quantity. In this paper, we address the universality class and critical properties of any AdS black hole in this alternative phase space. We disclose the critical behavior of AdS black hole in the alternative phase space in which a continuous phase transition happens and in a very general framework, independent of the spacetime metric. Based on the expansion of the equation of state and Landau thermodynamic potential in the neighborhood of a critical point in the alternative phase space, we confirm that the set of values for critical exponents for generic black hole is analogous to the Van der Waals fluid system. Finally, we reveal that the scalar curvature in geometry thermodynamic diverges at the critical point of black hole. Our study shows that the approach here is powerful enough to investigate the critical behavior of any black holes and further supports the viability of the alternative viewpoint toward phase space of black holes suggested in [Phys. Lett. B 768 (2017) 235].