We give a new, intrinsic, mass definition for spacetimes asymptotic to the Randall-Sundrum braneworld models, RS1 and RS2. For this mass, we prove a first law for static black holes, including variations of the bulk cosmological constant, brane tensions, and RS1 interbrane distance. Our first law defines a thermodynamic volume and a gravitational tension that are braneworld analogs of the corresponding quantities in asymptotically AdS black hole spacetimes and asymptotically flat compactifications, respectively. We also prove the following related variational principle for asymptotically RS black holes: instantaneously static initial data that extremizes the mass yields a static black hole, for variations at fixed apparent horizon area, AdS curvature length, cosmological constant, brane tensions, and RS brane warp factors. This variational principle is valid with either two branes (RS1) or one brane (RS2), and is applicable to variational trial solutions.

We study the binding of a small black hole to a positive-tension brane in the second RandallSundrum scenario (RS2) with orbifold symmetry. We find that a small black hole on the brane has substantial binding energy to the brane, and is stable against escaping into the bulk. This result can be applied in other models with an orbifold-symmetric brane. We also find a novel static black hole, which is completely localized off the brane and is unstable against translations transverse to the brane. Our results are obtained analytically by applying a variational principle to black hole initial data. This paper is the second in a series on asymptotically RS black holes.

For a set of N asymptotically flat black holes with arbitrary charges and masses, all initially at rest and well separated, we prove the following extremum principle: the extremal charge configuration (|qi| = mi for each black hole) can be derived by extremizing the total energy, for variations of the black hole apparent horizon areas, at fixed charges and fixed Euclidean separations. We prove this result through second order in an expansion in the inverse separations. If all charges have the same sign, this result is a variational principle that reinterprets the static equilibrium of the Majumdar-Papapetrou-Hartle-Hawking solution as an extremum of total energy, rather than as a balance of forces; this result augments a list of related variational principles for other static black holes, and is consistent with the independently known Bogomol'nyi-Prasad-Sommerfield (BPS) energy minimum.