No Arabic abstract
We exploit the AdS/CFT correspondence to investigate thermalization in an N=2 strongly coupled gauge theory including massless fundamental matter (quark). More precisely, we consider the response of a zero temperature state of the gauge theory under variation of an external electric field leading to a time-dependent current. The holographic dual of the above set-up is given by introducing a time-dependent electric field on the probe D7-brane embedded in an AdS_5 X S^5 background. In the dual gravity theory, due to a time-dependent electric field an apparent horizon forms on the brane which, according to AdS/CFT dictionary, is the counterpart of the thermalization process in the gauge theory. We classify different functions for time-dependent electric field and study their effect on the apparent horizon formation. In the case of pulse functions where the electric field varies from zero to zero, apart from non-equilibrium phase, we observe that two apparent horizons form on the brane. On the gauge theory side, it means that the state of the gauge theory experiences two different temperatures during the time evolution.
With a view to understanding extended-BMS symmetries in the framework of the $AdS_4/CFT_3$ correspondence, asymptotically AdS geometries are constructed with null impulsive shockwaves involving a discontinuity in superrotation parameters. The holographic dual is proposed to be a two-dimensional Euclidean defect conformal field localized on a particular timeslice in a three-dimensional conformal field theory on de Sitter spacetime. The defect conformal field theory generates a natural action of the Virasoro algebra. The large radius of curvature limit $elltoinfty$ yields spacetimes with nontrivial extended-BMS charges.
The eikonal phase which determines the Regge limit of the gravitational scattering amplitude of a light particle off a heavy one in Minkowski spacetimes admits an expansion in the ratio of the Schwarzschild radius of the heavy particle to the impact parameter. Such an eikonal phase in AdS spacetimes of any dimensionality has been computed to all orders and reduces to the corresponding Minkowski result when both the impact parameter and the Schwarzschild radius are much smaller than the AdS radius. The leading term in the AdS eikonal phase can be reproduced in the dual CFT by a single stress tensor conformal block, but the subleading term is a result of an infinite sum of the double stress tensor contributions. We provide a closed form expression for the OPE coefficients of the leading twist double stress tensors in four spacetime dimensions and perform the sum to compute the corresponding lightcone behavior of a heavy-heavy-light-light CFT correlator. The resulting compact expression passes a few nontrivial independent checks. In particular, it agrees with the subleading eikonal phase at large impact parameter.
We continue to develop the holographic interpretation of classical conformal blocks in terms of particles propagating in an asymptotically $AdS_3$ geometry. We study $n$-point block with two heavy and $n-2$ light fields. Using the worldline approach we propose and explicitly describe the corresponding bulk configuration, which consists of $n-3$ particles propagating in the conical defect background produced by the heavy fields. We test this general picture in the case of five points. Using the special combinatorial representation of the Virasoro conformal block we compute $5$-point classical block and find the exact correspondence with the bulk worldline action. In particular, the bulk analysis relies upon the special perturbative procedure which treats the $5$-point case as a deformation of the $4$-pt case.
We define a holographic dual to the Donaldson-Witten topological twist of $mathcal{N}=2$ gauge theories on a Riemannian four-manifold. This is described by a class of asymptotically locally hyperbolic solutions to $mathcal{N}=4$ gauged supergravity in five dimensions, with the four-manifold as conformal boundary. Under AdS/CFT, minus the logarithm of the partition function of the gauge theory is identified with the holographically renormalized supergravity action. We show that the latter is independent of the metric on the boundary four-manifold, as required for a topological theory. Supersymmetric solutions in the bulk satisfy first order differential equations for a twisted $Sp(1)$ structure, which extends the quaternionic Kahler structure that exists on any Riemannian four-manifold boundary. We comment on applications and extensions, including generalizations to other topological twists.
Instanton effects may have implications for hadronization of quark-gluon plasma as it cools. Here we study dispersion relations of mesons in a strongly coupled plasma with an instanton background present. It will be shown that at higher energies the instanton effect diminishes and some comments on the limiting velocity of mesons in the plasma. the profile function of mesons on the gravity side is considered also because of its relevance to energy loss of quark in plasma.