Lorentzian AdS Research Articles

Rotating particles in AdS: Holography at weak gauge coupling and without conformal symmetry

Abstract We consider the gauge/gravity correspondence between maximally supersymmetric Yang–Mills theory in (p + 1) dimensions and superstring theory on the near-horizon limit of the Dp-brane solution. The string-frame metric is AdSp + 2 × S8 − p times a Weyl factor, and there is no conformal symmetry except for p = 3. In a previous paper by one of the present authors, the free-field result of gauge theory has been reproduced from string theory for a particular operator that has angular momentum along S8 − p. In this paper, we extend this result to operators that have angular momenta along AdSp + 2. Our approach is based on a Euclidean formulation proposed by Dobashi et al. [Nucl. Phys. B 665, 94 (2003)] and on the “string bit” picture. We first show that the spinning string solution in Lorentzian AdS, found by Gubser et al. [Nucl. Phys. B 636, 99 (2002)], can be recast in a form that connects two points on the boundary of Euclidean AdS. The transition amplitudes of such strings can be interpreted as gauge theory correlators. We study the case of zero gauge coupling by ignoring interactions among string bits (massless particles in 10D spacetime that constitute a string), and show that the free-field results of gauge theory are reproduced.

Opacity from Loops in AdS

We investigate how quantum dynamics affects the propagation of a scalar field in Lorentzian AdS. We work in momentum space, in which the propagator admits two spectral representations (denoted “conformal” and “momentum”) in addition to a closed-form one, and all have a simple split structure. Focusing on scalar bubbles, we compute the imaginary part of the self-energy ImΠ in the three representations, which involves the evaluation of seemingly very different objects. We explicitly prove their equivalence in any dimension, and derive some elementary and asymptotic properties of ImΠ.Using a WKB-like approach in the timelike region, we evaluate the propagator dressed with the imaginary part of the self-energy. We find that the dressing from loops exponentially dampens the propagator when one of the endpoints is in the IR region, rendering this region opaque to propagation. This suppression may have implications for field-theoretical model-building in AdS. We argue that in the effective theory (EFT) paradigm, opacity of the IR region induced by higher dimensional operators censors the region of EFT breakdown. This confirms earlier expectations from the literature. Specializing to AdS5, we determine a universal contribution to opacity from gravity.

Codimension-two holography for wedges

We propose a codimension two holography between a gravitational theory on a $d+1$ dimensional wedge spacetime and a $d-1$ dimensional CFT which lives on the corner of the wedge. Formulating this as a generalization of AdS/CFT, we explain how to compute the free energy, entanglement entropy and correlation functions of the dual CFTs from gravity. In this wedge holography, the holographic entanglement entropy is computed by a double minimization procedure. Especially, for a four dimensional gravity ($d=3$), we obtain a two dimensional CFT and the holographic entanglement entropy perfectly reproduces the known result expected from the holographic conformal anomaly. We also discuss a lower dimensional example ($d=2$) and find that a universal quantity naturally arises from gravity, which is analogous to the boundary entropy. Moreover, we consider a gravity on a wedge region in Lorentzian AdS, which is expected to be dual to a CFT with a space-like boundary. We formulate this new holography and compute the holographic entanglement entropy via a Wick rotation of the AdS/BCFT construction. Via a conformal map, this wedge spacetime is mapped into a geometry where a bubble-of-nothing expands under time evolution. We reproduce the holographic entanglement entropy for this gravity dual via CFT calculations.

The gravity dual of Lorentzian OPE blocks

We consider the operator product expansion (OPE) structure of scalar primary operators in a generic Lorentzian CFT and its dual description in a gravitational theory with one extra dimension. The OPE can be decomposed into certain bi-local operators transforming as the irreducible representations under conformal group, called the OPE blocks. We show the OPE block is given by integrating a higher spin field along a geodesic in the Lorentzian AdS space-time when the two operators are space-like separated. When the two operators are time-like separated however, we find the OPE block has a peculiar representation where the dual gravitational theory is not defined on the AdS space-time but on a hyperboloid with an additional time coordinate and Minkowski space-time on its boundary. This differs from the surface Witten diagram proposal for the time-like OPE block, but in two dimensions we reproduce it consistently using a kinematical duality between a pair of time-like separated points and space-like ones.

Opacity and effective field theory in anti–de Sitter backgrounds

We consider quantum field theory in a five-dimensional anti-de Sitter background, possibly truncated by four-dimensional (4D) branes. In the Euclidian version of this space, it is known that propagators exponentially decay when they go far enough toward the Poincar\'e horizon, i.e. deep enough into the IR region of the AdS bulk. In this note, we show that an analogous property exists in Lorentzian AdS. The exponential suppression is found to occur in the presence of bulk interactions dressing the AdS propagators. We calculate one-loop gravitational dressing and find that the suppression effect comes from the scalar component of the 5D graviton. We then argue that, at least at strong coupling, this exponential decay censors the region of spacetime where the 5D effective field theory would become invalid. As an application we estimate the rate for the cascade decay of bulk fields---which are known to produce soft spherical events with high multiplicity---and find this rate to be exponentially suppressed.

A tunneling picture of dual giant Wilson loop

We further discuss a rotating dual giant Wilson loop (D3-brane) solution constructed in Lorentzian AdS by Drukker et al. The solution is shown to be composed of a dual giant Wilson loop and a dual giant graviton by minutely examining its shape. Hence it may be supposed that the dual gauge-theory operator should be a k-th symmetric Wilson loop with insertions of dual giant graviton operators. To give a convincing argument for this observation, the classical action of the solution should be evaluated in Euclidean signature. For this purpose we perform a Wick rotation to the Lorentzian solution by following the tunneling prescription and obtain Euclidean solutions attaching to a circle or a straight line on the AdS boundary. The classical action contains a logarithmic divergence which is proportional to the R-charge. It is consistent with the correlation function of the dual giant graviton operators. Because of ambiguities concerning regularization, finite terms of the action do not lead to conclusive evidence. However we may expect that the ambiguities would cancel by subtracting the action of the D3-brane with a straight-line boundary from that with a circular boundary. It is really shown that the difference is consistent with the expectation value of the k-th symmetric Wilson loop. Although our analysis does not specify the unique dual gauge-theory operator, we discuss possible candidates implied by the D3-brane computation.

The string theory on [formula omitted] as a marginal deformation of a linear dilaton background

We investigate N-point string scattering amplitudes in AdS 3 space. Based on recent observations on the solutions of KZ and BPZ-type differential equations, we discuss how to describe the string theory in AdS 3 as a marginal deformation of a (flat) linear dilaton background. This representation resembles the called “discrete light-cone Liouville” realization as well as the FZZ dual description in terms of the sine-Liouville field theory. Consequently, the connection and differences between those and this realization are discussed. The free field representation presented here permits to understand the relation between correlators in both Liouville and WZNW theories in a very simple way. Within this framework, we discuss the spectrum and interactions of strings in Lorentzian AdS 3 .

String Theory on LorentzianAdS3in Minisuperspace

We investigate string theory on Lorentzian AdS_3 in the minisuperspace approximation. The minisuperspace model reduces to the worldline theory of a scalar particle in the Lorentzian AdS_3. The Hilbert space consists of normalizable wave functions, and we see that the unitarity of the theory (or the self-adjointness of the Hamiltonian) restricts the possible sets of wave functions. The restricted wave functions have the property of probability conservation (or current conservation) across the horizons. Two and three point functions are also computed. In the Euclidean model functional forms of these quantities are restricted by the SL(2,R) symmetry almost uniquely, however, in the Lorentzian model there are several ambiguities left. The ambiguities are fixed by the direct computation of overlaps of wave functions.

Boundary States of D-Branes in AdS3 Based on Discrete Series

We study D-branes in the Lorentzian AdS_3 background from the viewpoint of boundary states, emphasizing the role of open-closed duality in string theory. Employing the world sheet with Lorentzian signature, we construct the Cardy states with the discrete series. We show that they are compatible with (1) unitarity and normalizability, and (2) the spectral flow symmetry, in the open string spectrum. We also discuss their brane interpretation. We further show that in the case of superstrings on AdS_3 x S^3 x T^4, our Cardy states yield an infinite number of physical BPS states in the open string channel, on which the spectral flows act consistently.