Test of the anti-de Sitter-space/conformal-field-theory correspondence using high-spin operators

In two remarkable recent papers the planar perturbative expansion was proposed for the universal function of the coupling appearing in the dimensions of high-spin operators of the N=4 super Yang-Mills theory. We study numerically the integral equation derived by Beisert, Eden, and Staudacher, which resumes the perturbative series. In a confirmation of the anti-de Sitter-space/conformal-field-theory (AdS/CFT) correspondence, we find a smooth function whose two leading terms at strong coupling match the results obtained for the semiclassical folded string spinning in AdS5. We also make a numerical prediction for the third term in the strong coupling series.     

Hadron potentials within the gauge/string correspondence

It is known, since the 70s, that the large N 't Hooft limit of gauge theories is related to string theories. In 1998, J. M. Maldacena identified precisely such a relation: the so-called AdS/CFT correspondence which speculates a duality between a large N strongly-coupled supersymmetric and conformal Yang-Mills theory in four dimensions and a weakly-coupled string theory defined in a five-dimensional anti-de Sitter AdS₅ space-time. This review aims at introducing concepts and methods used to derive, in the framework of the gauge/string correspondence, the interaction potentials of mesons and baryons at zero and finite temperature. The dual string configurations associated with the different kinds of hadrons are described and their behaviours at short and large distances are understood. Although the application of Maldacena's AdS/CFT conjecture to QCD is not straightforward, QCD being neither supersymmetric nor conformal, the AdS/QCD correspondence approach attempts to identify the dual theory of QCD. Especially, the study of heavy quark-antiquark bound-states leads to establish general dual criteria for the confinement.     

Exciting the GKP string at any coupling

We analyze the spectrum of excitations around the Gubser-Klebanov-Polyakov (GKP) rotating string in the long string limit and construct a parametric representation for their dispersion relations at any value of the string tension. On the gauge theory side of the AdS/CFT correspondence, i.e., in the planar N=4 super Yang-Mills theory, the problem is equivalent to finding the spectrum of scaling dimensions of large spin, single-trace operators. Their scaling dimensions are obtained from the analysis of the Beisert-Staudacher asymptotic Bethe ansatz equations, which are believed to solve the spectral problem of the planar gauge theory. We examine the resulting dispersion relations in various kinematical regimes, both at weak and strong coupling, and detail the matching with the Frolov-Tseytlin spectrum of transverse fluctuations of the long GKP string. At a more dynamical level, we identify the mechanism for the restoration of the SO(6) symmetry, initially broken by the choice of the Berenstein-Maldacena-Nastase vacuum in the Bethe ansatz solution to the mixing problem.     

Extended phase space thermodynamics for third-order Lovelock black holes in diverse dimensions

Recently there has been progress in the computation of the anomalous dimensions of gauge theory operators at strong coupling by making use of the AdS/CFT correspondence. On the string theory side they are given by dispersion relations in the semiclassical regime. We revisit the problem of a large-charge expansion of the dispersion relations for simple semiclassical strings in an \(\mathrm{AdS}_4\times {\mathbb {CP}}^3\) background. We present the calculation of the corresponding anomalous dimensions of the gauge theory operators to an arbitrary order using three different methods. Although the results of the three methods look different, power series expansions show their consistency.     

Strings in plane wave backgrounds

I review aspects of string theory on plane wave backgrounds emphasising the connection to gauge theory given by the BMN correspondence. Topics covered include the Penrose limit and its role in deriving the BMN duality from AdS/CFT, light‐cone string field theory in the maximally supersymmetric plane wave and extensions of the correspondence to less supersymmetric backgrounds.     

Wrapping interactions and a new source of corrections to the spin-chain/string duality

Assuming that the world-sheet sigma-model in the AdS/CFT correspondence is an integrable quantum field theory, we deduce that there might be new corrections to the spin-chain/string Bethe ansatz paradigm. These come from virtual particles propagating around the circumference of the cylinder and render Bethe ansatz quantization conditions only approximate. We determine the nature of these corrections both at weak and at strong coupling in the near-BMN limit, and find that the first corrections behave qualitatively as wrapping interactions at weak coupling.     

Energy loss of an infinitely massive half-Bogomol'nyi-Prasad-Sommerfeld particle by radiation to all orders in 1/N

We use the AdS/CFT correspondence to compute the energy radiated by an infinitely massive half-Bogomol'nyi-Prasad-Sommerfeld particle charged under N=4 super Yang-Mills theory, transforming in the symmetric or antisymmetric representation of the gauge group, and moving in the vacuum, to all orders in 1/N and for large 't Hooft coupling. For the antisymmetric case we consider D5-branes reaching the boundary of five-dimensional anti-de Sitter space (AdS(5)) at arbitrary timelike trajectories, while for the symmetric case, we consider a D3-brane in AdS(5) that reaches the boundary at a hyperbola. We compare our results to the one obtained for the fundamental representation, deduced by considering a string in AdS(5).     

Near-flat space limit of strings on AdS 4×ℂℙ3

The non-linear nature of string theory on non-trivial backgrounds, related to the AdS/CFT correspondence, force one to look for simplifications. Two such simplifications proved to be useful in studying string theory. These are the pp-wave limit, which describes point-like strings, and the so-called “near-flat space” limit which connects two different sectors of string theory—pp-wave and “giant magnons”. Recently another example of AdS/CFT duality emerged—AdS ₄/CFT ₃, which suggests duality between CS theory and superstring theory on . In this paper we study the “near-flat space” limit of strings on an background and discuss possible applications of the limiting theory. R.C. Rashkov is on leave from Department of Physics, Sofia University, Bulgaria.     

Holographic dual of de Sitter universe with AdS bubbles

We study the proposal that a de Sitter (dS) universe with an Anti-de Sitter (AdS) bubble can be replaced by a dS universe with a boundary CFT. To explore this duality, we consider incident gravitons coming from the dS universe through the bubble wall into the AdS bubble in the original picture. In the dual picture, this process has to be identified with the absorption of gravitons by CFT matter. We have obtained a general formula for the absorption probability in general d+1 spacetime dimensions. The result shows the different behavior depending on whether spacetime dimensions are even or odd. We find that the absorption process of gravitons from the dS universe by CFT matter is controlled by localized gravitons (massive bound state modes in the Kaluza-Klein decomposition) in the dS universe. The absorption probability is determined by the effective degrees of freedom of the CFT matter and the effective gravitational coupling constant which encodes information of localized gravitons. We speculate that the dual of (d+1)-dimensional dS universe with an AdS bubble is also dual to a d-dimensional dS universe with CFT matter.     

Axiomatic Conformal Theory in Dimensions >2 and AdS/CT Correspondence

We formulate axioms of conformal theory (CT) in dimensions >2 modifying Segal’s axioms for two-dimensional CFT. (In the definition of higher-dimensional CFT, one includes also a condition of existence of energy-momentum tensor.) We use these axioms to derive the AdS/CT correspondence for local theories on AdS. We introduce a notion of weakly local quantum field theory and construct a bijective correspondence between conformal theories on the sphere S^d and weakly local quantum field theories on \({H^{d+1}}\) that are invariant with respect to isometries. (Here \({H^{d+1}}\) denotes hyperbolic space = Euclidean AdS space.) We give an expression of AdS correlation functions in terms of CT correlation functions. The conformal theory has conserved energy-momentum tensor iff the AdS theory has graviton in its spectrum.     

Unraveling AdS/CFT

In this review, I survey the conjectured correspondence between a string theory in ten dimensions and certain supersymmetric gauge theories in four. This duality has recently garnered considerable attention from scientists studying the hot matter produced in heavy-ion collisions. An important and immediate question is to what extent one can hope to describe the dynamics of the quark–gluon plasma in a supersymmetric conformal field theory. Here I explain recent applications of the AdS/CFT correspondence to the strongly interacting matter produced at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. Progress in characterizing the medium with these techniques will be discussed, as well as limitations inherent to the method.     

Cavitation in holographic sQGP

We study the possibility of cavitation in the non-conformal N=^2?SU(N) theory which is a mass deformation of N=4SU(N) Yang-Mills theory. The second order transport coefficients are known from the numerical work using AdS/CFT by Buchel and collaborators. Using these and the approach of Rajagopal and Tripuraneni, we investigate the flow equations in a (1+1)-dimensional boost invariant set up. We find that the string theory model does not exhibit cavitation before phase transition is reached. We give a semi-analytic explanation of this finding.     

Macroscopic strings as heavy quarks: Large-N gauge theory and anti-de Sitter supergravity

We study some aspects of Maldacena's large-N correspondence between superconformal gauge theory on the D3-brane and maximal supergravity on AdS by introducing macroscopic strings as heavy (anti-) quark probes. The macroscopic strings are semi-infinite Type IIB strings ending on a D3-brane world-volume. We first study deformation and fluctuation of D3-branes when a macroscopic BPS string is attached. We find that both dynamics and boundary conditions agree with those for the macroscopic string in anti-de Sitter supergravity. As a by-product we clarify how Polchinski's Dirichlet and Neumann open string boundary conditions arise dynamically. We then study the non-BPS macroscopic string–anti-string pair configuration as a physical realization of a heavy quark Wilson loop. We obtain the static potential from the supergravity side and find that the potential exhibits non-analyticity of the square-root branch cut in the 't Hooft coupling parameter. We put forward non-analyticity as a prediction for large-N gauge theory in the strong 't Hooft coupling limit. By turning on the Ramond–Ramond zero-form potential, we also study the vacuum angle dependence of the static potential. We finally discuss the possible dynamical realization of the heavy N-prong string junction and of the large-N loop equation via a local electric field and string recoil thereof. Throughout comparisons of the AdS–CFT correspondence, we find that a crucial role is played by “geometric duality” between the UV and IR scales in directions perpendicular to the D3-brane and parallel ones, explaining how the AdS spacetime geometry emerges out of four-dimensional gauge theory at strong coupling. Received: 21 September 2001 / Published online: 12 November 2001     

Five loop Konishi from AdS/CFT

We derive the perturbative five loop anomalous dimension of the Konishi operator in N=4$N=4$ SYM theory from the integrable string sigma model by evaluating finite size effects using Lüscher formulas adapted to multimagnon states at weak coupling. In addition, we derive the five loop wrapping contribution for the L=2$L=2$ single impurity state in the β deformed theory, which may be within reach of a direct perturbative computation. The Konishi expression exhibits two new features — a modification of Asymptotic Bethe Ansatz quantization and sensitiveness to an infinite set of coefficients of the BES/BHL dressing phase. The result satisfies nontrivial self-consistency conditions — simple transcendentality structure and cancellation of μ-term poles. It may be a testing ground for the proposed AdS/CFT TBA systems.     

Absorption and Hawking radiation of minimal and fixed scalars,and AdS/CFT correspondence

We present a complete derivation of absorption cross section and Hawking radiation of minimal and fixed scalars from the Strominger-Vafa model of five-dimensional black hole, starting right from the moduli space of the Dl-D5 brane system. We determine the precise coupling of this moduli space to bulk modes by using the AdS/CFT correspondence. Our methods resolve a long-standing problem regarding emission of fixed scalars. We calculate three-point correlators of operators coupling to the minimal scalars from supergravity and from SCFT, and show that both vanish. We make some observations about how the AdS/SYM correspondence implies a close relation between large-N equations of motion of d-dimensional gauge theory and supergravity equations on AdS_d+l-type backgrounds. We compare with the explicit non-local transform relating one and two dimensions in the context of c = 1 matrix model.     

Microscopic formulation of black holes in string theory

In this report we review the microscopic formulation of the five-dimensional black hole of type IIB string theory in terms of the D1–D5 brane system. The emphasis here is more on the brane dynamics than on supergravity solutions. We show how the low energy brane dynamics, combined with crucial inputs from AdS/CFT correspondence, leads to a derivation of black hole thermodynamics and the rate of Hawking radiation. Our approach requires a detailed exposition of the gauge theory and conformal field theory of the D1–D5 system. We also discuss some applications of the AdS/CFT correspondence in the context of black hole formation in three dimensions by thermal transition and by collision of point particles.     

Holographic derivation of entanglement entropy from the anti-de Sitter space/conformal field theory correspondence

A holographic derivation of the entanglement entropy in quantum (conformal) field theories is proposed from anti-de Sitter/conformal field theory (AdS/CFT) correspondence. We argue that the entanglement entropy in d + 1 dimensional conformal field theories can be obtained from the area of d dimensional minimal surfaces in AdS(d+2), analogous to the Bekenstein-Hawking formula for black hole entropy. We show that our proposal agrees perfectly with the entanglement entropy in 2D CFT when applied to AdS(3). We also compare the entropy computed in AdS(5)XS(5) with that of the free N=4 super Yang-Mills theory.     

Fragile black holes

The AdS/CFT correspondence may give a new way of understanding field theories in extreme conditions, as in the quark–gluon plasma phase of quark matter. The correspondence normally involves asymptotically AdS black holes with dual field theories which are defined on locally flat boundary spacetimes; the implicit assumption is that the distortions of spacetime which occur under extreme conditions do not affect the field theory in any unexpected way. However, AdS black holes are [to varying degrees] fragile, in the sense that they become unstable to stringy effects when their event horizons are sufficiently distorted. This implies that field theories on curved backgrounds may likewise be unstable in a suitable sense. We investigate this phenomenon, focussing on the “fragility” of AdS₅ black holes with flat event horizons. We find that, when they are distorted, these black holes are always unstable in string theory. This may have consequences for the detailed structure of the quark matter phase diagram at extreme values of the spacetime curvature.     

Aspects of holography in the AdS/CFT correspondence

We study quantities which are important for the realization of the holographic principle in the AdS/CFT correspondence: boundaries, geodesics and the propagators of scalar fields. They should play a role in the holographic setup in the BMN limit as well. We review the backgrounds and their relations that are relevant in the AdS/CFT correspondence and in its BMN limit. We describe the realization of the holographic principle in the AdS/CFT correspondence and summarize proposals of how to translate it in the BMN limit. We analyze the boundaries, geodesics and propagators of scalar fields in detail and observe how they behave in the limiting process from AdS₅×S⁵ to the 10‐dimensional plane wave, which is the spacetime in the BMN limit.