Note on New Massive Gravity in AdS3AdS_3

In this note we study the properties of linearized gravitational excitations in the new massive gravity theory in asymptotically $AdS_3$ spacetime and find that there is also a critical point for the mass parameter at which massive gravitons become massless as in topological massive gravity in $AdS_3$. However, at this critical point in the new massive gravity the energy of all branches of highest weight gravitons vanish and the central charges also vanish within the Brown-Henneaux boundary conditions. The new massive gravity in asymptotically $AdS_3$ spacetime seems to be trivial at this critical point under the Brown-Henneaux boundary conditions if the Brown-Henneaux boundary conditions can be consistent with this theory. At this point, the boundary conditions of log gravity may be preferred.Comment: v3 typos corrected, refs added, version to appear in JHE

BPS Spectrum, Indices and Wall Crossing in N=4 Supersymmetric Yang-Mills Theories

BPS states in N=4 supersymmetric SU(N) gauge theories in four dimensions can be represented as planar string networks with ends lying on D3-branes. We introduce several protected indices which capture information on the spectrum and various quantum numbers of these states, give their wall crossing formula and describe how using the wall crossing formula we can compute all the indices at all points in the moduli space.Comment: LaTeX file, 33 pages, 15 figure

Non-Einstein geometries in Chiral Gravity

We analyze the asymptotic solutions of Chiral Gravity (Topologically Massive Gravity at \mu l = 1 with Brown-Henneaux boundary conditions) focusing on non-Einstein metrics. A class of such solutions admits curvature singularities in the interior which are reflected as singularities or infinite bulk energy of the corresponding linear solutions. A non-linear solution is found exactly. The back-reaction induces a repulsion of geodesics and a shielding of the singularity by an event horizon but also introduces closed timelike curves.Comment: 11 pages, 3 figures. v2: references and comments on linear stability (Sect.2) adde

Gravity duals for logarithmic conformal field theories

Logarithmic conformal field theories with vanishing central charge describe systems with quenched disorder, percolation or dilute self-avoiding polymers. In these theories the energy momentum tensor acquires a logarithmic partner. In this talk we address the construction of possible gravity duals for these logarithmic conformal field theories and present two viable candidates for such duals, namely theories of massive gravity in three dimensions at a chiral point.Comment: 15 pages, 1 figure, invited plenary talk at the First Mediterranean Conference on Classical and Quantum Gravity, v2: published version, corrected typo in left eq. (5

BPS dyons and Hesse flow

We revisit BPS solutions to classical N=2 low energy effective gauge theories. It is shown that the BPS equations can be solved in full generality by the introduction of a Hesse potential, a symplectic analog of the holomorphic prepotential. We explain how for non-spherically symmetric, non-mutually local solutions, the notion of attractor flow generalizes to gradient flow with respect to the Hesse potential. Furthermore we show that in general there is a non-trivial magnetic complement to this flow equation that is sourced by the momentum current in the solution.Comment: 25 pages, references adde

Holographic Vitrification

We establish the existence of stable and metastable stationary black hole bound states at finite temperature and chemical potentials in global and planar four-dimensional asymptotically anti-de Sitter space. We determine a number of features of their holographic duals and argue they represent structural glasses. We map out their thermodynamic landscape in the probe approximation, and show their relaxation dynamics exhibits logarithmic aging, with aging rates determined by the distribution of barriers.Comment: 100 pages, 25 figure

Categorical Tinkertoys for N=2 Gauge Theories

In view of classification of the quiver 4d N=2 supersymmetric gauge theories, we discuss the characterization of the quivers with superpotential (Q,W) associated to a N=2 QFT which, in some corner of its parameter space, looks like a gauge theory with gauge group G. The basic idea is that the Abelian category rep(Q,W) of (finite-dimensional) representations of the Jacobian algebra $\mathbb{C} Q/(\partial W)$ should enjoy what we call the Ringel property of type G; in particular, rep(Q,W) should contain a universal `generic' subcategory, which depends only on the gauge group G, capturing the universality of the gauge sector. There is a family of 'light' subcategories $\mathscr{L}_\lambda\subset rep(Q,W)$, indexed by points $\lambda\in N$, where $N$ is a projective variety whose irreducible components are copies of $\mathbb{P}^1$ in one--to--one correspondence with the simple factors of G. In particular, for a Gaiotto theory there is one such family of subcategories, $\mathscr{L}_{\lambda\in N}$, for each maximal degeneration of the corresponding surface $\Sigma$, and the index variety $N$ may be identified with the degenerate Gaiotto surface itself: generic light subcategories correspond to cylinders, while closed-point subcategories to `fixtures' (spheres with three punctures of various kinds) and higher-order generalizations. The rules for `gluing' categories are more general that the geometric gluing of surfaces, allowing for a few additional exceptional N=2 theories which are not of the Gaiotto class.Comment: 142 pages, 8 figures, 5 table

Quiver Structure of Heterotic Moduli

We analyse the vector bundle moduli arising from generic heterotic compactifications from the point of view of quiver representations. Phenomena such as stability walls, crossing between chambers of supersymmetry, splitting of non-Abelian bundles and dynamic generation of D-terms are succinctly encoded into finite quivers. By studying the Poincar\'e polynomial of the quiver moduli space using the Reineke formula, we can learn about such useful concepts as Donaldson-Thomas invariants, instanton transitions and supersymmetry breaking.Comment: 38 pages, 5 figures, 1 tabl