Trace anomaly and the Hawking effect in generic two-dimensional dilaton gravity theories

Black hole solutions in the context of a generic matter-coupled two-dimensional dilaton gravity theory are discussed both at the classical and semiclassical level. Starting from general assumptions, a criterion for the existence of black holes is given. The relationship between the conformal anomaly and Hawking radiation is extended to a broad class of two-dimensional dilaton gravity models. A general and simple formula relating the magnitude of the Hawking effect to the dilaton potential evaluated on the horizon is derived.