Multi-centered Configurations Research Articles

Elliptic genera from multi-centers

I show how elliptic genera for various Calabi-Yau threefolds may be understood from supergravity localization using the quantization of the phase space of certain multi-center configurations. I present a simple procedure that allows for the enumeration of all multi-center configurations contributing to the polar sector of the elliptic genera\textemdash explicitly verifying this in the cases of the quintic in $\mathbb{P}^4$, the sextic in $\mathbb{WP}_{(2,1,1,1,1)}$, the octic in $\mathbb{WP}_{(4,1,1,1,1)}$ and the dectic in $\mathbb{WP}_{(5,2,1,1,1)}$. With an input of the corresponding `single-center' indices (Donaldson-Thomas invariants), the polar terms have been known to determine the elliptic genera completely. I argue that this multi-center approach to the low-lying spectrum of the elliptic genera is a stepping stone towards an understanding of the exact microscopic states that contribute to supersymmetric single center black hole entropy in $\mathcal{N}=2$ supergravity.

Codimension-2 solutions in five-dimensional supergravity

We study a new class of supersymmetric solutions in five-dimensional supergravity representing multi-center configurations of codimension-2 branes along arbitrary curves. Codimension-2 branes are produced in generic situations out of ordinary branes of higher codimension by the supertube effect and, when they are exotic branes, spacetime generally becomes non-geometric. The solutions are characterized by a set of harmonic functions on $\mathbb{R}^3$ with non-trivial monodromies around codimension-2 branch-point singularities. The solutions can be regarded as generalizations of the Bates-Denef/Bena-Warner multi-center solutions with codimension-3 centers to include codimension-2 ones. We present some explicit examples of solutions with codimension-2 centers, and discuss their relevance for the black microstate (non-)geometry program.

Phases of non-extremal multi-centered bound states

Abstract We investigate the phase space of multi-centered near-extremal configurations previously studied in arXiv:1108.5821 [1] and arXiv:1110.5641 [2] in the probe limit. We confirm that in general the energetically favored ground state of the multi-center potential, which can be a single or multi-center configuration, has the most entropy and is thus thermodynamically stable. However, we find the surprising result that for a subset of configurations, even though a single center black hole seems to be energetically favored, it is entropically not allowed (the resulting black hole would violate cosmic censorship). This disproves classical intuition that everything would just fall into the black hole if energetically favored. Along the way we highlight a shortcoming in the literature regarding the computation of the angular momentum coming from electromagnetic interaction in the probe limit and rectify it. We also demonstrate that static supertubes can exist inside ergoregions where ordinary point particles would be frame dragged.

Non-BPS black rings and black holes in Taub-NUT

We solve the recently-proposed equations describing non-BPS extremal multi-center configurations, and construct explicit solutions describing non-supersymmetric extremal black rings in Taub-NUT, as well as the seed solution for the most general extremal non-BPS under-rotating black hole in four dimensions. We also find solutions that contain both a black hole and a black ring, which descend to four-dimensional extremal non-BPS two-center black holes with generic charges.

HOW MANY BLACK HOLES FIT ON THE HEAD OF A PIN?

The Bekenstein–Hawking entropy of certain black holes can be computed microscopically in string theory by mapping the elusive problem of counting microstates of a strongly gravitating black hole to the tractable problem of counting microstates of a weakly coupled D-brane system, which has no event horizon, and indeed comfortably fits on the head of a pin. We show here that, contrary to widely held beliefs, the entropy of spherically symmetric black holes can easily be dwarfed by that of stationary multi-black-hole "molecules" of the same total charge and energy. Thus, the corresponding pin-sized D-brane systems do not even approximately count the microstates of a single black hole, but rather those of a zoo of entropically dominant multicentered configurations.

How many black holes fit on the head of a pin?

The Bekenstein–Hawking entropy of certain black holes can be computed microscopically in string theory by mapping the elusive problem of counting microstates of a strongly gravitating black hole to the tractable problem of counting microstates of a weakly coupled D-brane system, which has no event horizon, and indeed comfortably fits on the head of a pin. We show here that, contrary to widely held beliefs, the entropy of spherically symmetric black holes can easily be dwarfed by that of stationary multi-black-hole “molecules” of the same total charge and energy. Thus, the corresponding pin-sized D-brane systems do not even approximately count the microstates of a single black hole, but rather those of a zoo of entropically dominant multicentered configurations.

On the moduli space of non-commutative multi-solitons at finite θ

We study the finite θ correction to the metric of the moduli space of non-commutative multi-solitons in scalar field theory in 2+1 dimensions. By solving the equation of motion up to order O(θ−2) explicitly, we show that the multi-soliton solution must have the same center for a generic potential term. We examine the condition that the multi-centered configurations are allowed. Under this condition, we calculate the finite θ correction to the metric of the moduli space of multi-solitons and argue the possibility of the non right-angle scattering of two solitons. We also obtain the potential between two solitons.