Alex Buchel

Holographic GB gravity in arbitrary dimensions

We study the properties of the holographic CFT dual to Gauss-Bonnet gravity in general D(≥ 5) dimensions. We establish the AdS/CFT dictionary and in particular relate the couplings of the gravitational theory to the universal couplings arising in correlators of the stress tensor of the dual CFT. This allows us to examine constraints on the gravitational couplings by demanding consistency of the CFT. In particular, one can demand positive energy fluxes in scattering processes or the causal propagation of fluctuations. We also examine the holographic hydrodynamics, commenting on the shear viscosity as well as the relaxation time. The latter allows us to consider causality constraints arising from the second-order truncated theory of hydrodynamics.

Beyond η/s = 1/4π

We use low-energy effective description of gauge theory/string theory duality to argue that the Kovtun-Son-Starinets viscosity bound is generically violated in superconformal gauge theories with non-equal central charges

On universality of stress-energy tensor correlation functions in supergravity

c\ne a

Gauge dual and noncommutative extension of an N = 2 supergravity solution

. We present new examples (of string theory constructions and of gauge theories) where the bound is violated in a controllable setting. We consider the comparison of results from AdS/CFT calculations to the QCD plasma in the context of this discussion.We use a low-energy effective description of gauge theory/string theory duality to argue that the Kovtun-Son-Starinets viscosity bound is generically violated in superconformal gauge theories with non-equal central charges c≠a. We present new examples (of string theory constructions and of gauge theories) where the bound is violated in a controllable setting. We consider the comparison of results from AdS/CFT calculations to the QCD plasma in the context of this discussion.

Bulk viscosity of gauge theory plasma at strong coupling

Abstract Using the Minkowski space AdS/CFT prescription we explicitly compute in the low-energy limit the two-point correlation function of the boundary stress-energy tensor in a large class of type IIB supergravity backgrounds with a regular translationally invariant horizon. The relevant set of supergravity backgrounds includes all geometries which can be interpreted via gauge theory/string theory correspondence as being holographically dual to finite temperature gauge theories in Minkowski space–times. The fluctuation–dissipation theorem relates this correlation function computation to the previously established universality of the shear viscosity from supergravity duals, and to the universality of the low energy absorption cross section for minimally coupled massless scalars into a general spherically symmetric black hole. It further generalizes the latter results for the supergravity black brane geometries with non-spherical horizons.

Causality of Holographic Hydrodynamics

We investigate some properties of a recent supergravity solution of Pilch and Warner, which is dual to the N=4 gauge theory softly broken to N=2. We verify that a D3-brane probe has the expected moduli space and its effective action can be brought to N=2 form. The kinetic term for the probe vanishes on an enhancon locus, as in earlier work on large-n N=2 theories, though for the Pilch-Warner solution this locus is a line rather than a ring. On the gauge theory side we find that the probe metric can be obtained from a perturbative one-loop calculation; this principle may be useful in obtaining the supergravity dual at more general points in the N=2 gauge theory moduli space. We then turn on a B-field, following earlier work on the N=4 theory, to obtain the supergravity dual to the noncommutative N=2 theory.

Non-Extremal Gravity Duals for Fractional D3-Branes on the Conifold

Abstract We propose an inequality on bulk viscosity of strongly coupled gauge theory plasmas that allow for a dual supergravity description. Using explicit example of the N = 2 ∗ gauge theory plasma we show that the bulk viscosity remains finite at a critical point with a divergent specific heat. We present an estimate for the bulk viscosity of QGP plasma at RHIC.

Gauged supergravity from type IIB string theory on Yp,q manifolds

We study causality violation in holographic hydrodynamics in the gauge theory/string theory correspondence, focussing on Gauss-Bonnet gravity. The value of the Gauss-Bonnet coupling is related to the difference between the central charges of the dual conformal gauge theory. We show that, when this difference is sufficiently large, causality is violated both in the second-order truncated theory of hydrodynamics, as well as in the exact theory. We find that the latter provides more stringent constraints, which match precisely those appearing in the CFT analysis of Hofman and Maldacena.

Does the Tachyon Matter

The world volume theory on N regular and M fractional D3-branes at the conifold singularity is a non-conformal N = 1 supersymmetric SU(N+ M) SU(N) gauge theory. In previous work the extremal Type IIB supergravity dual of this theory at zero temperature was constructed. Regularity of the solution requires a deformation of the conifold: this is a reflection of the chiral symmetry breaking. To study the non-zero temperature generalizations non-extremal solutions have to beconsidered, andinthehightemperaturephasethechiralsymmetryisexpectedto berestored. SuchasolutionisexpectedtohavearegularSchwarzschild horizon. We construct an ansatz necessary to study such non-extremal solutions and show that thesimplest possiblesolutionhasasingularhorizon. Wederivethesystemofsecond order equations in the radial variable whose solutions may have regular horizons.

Finite temperature resolution of the Klebanov-Tseytlin singularity

We first construct a consistent Kaluza–Klein reduction ansatz for type IIB theory compactified on Sasaki–Einstein manifolds Yp,q with Freund–Rubin 5-form flux giving rise to minimal N=2 gauged supergravity in five dimensions. We then investigate the R-charged black hole solution in this gauged supergravity, and in particular study its thermodynamics. Based on the gauge theory/string theory correspondence, this non-extremal geometry is dual to finite temperature strongly coupled four-dimensional conformal gauge theory plasma with a U(1)R-symmetry charge chemical potential. We study transport properties of the gauge theory plasma and show that the ratio of shear viscosity to entropy density in this plasma is universal. We further conjecture that the universality of shear viscosity of strongly coupled gauge theory plasma extends to non-zero R-charge chemical potential.