Embedding massive flavor in ABJM

We add massive fundamental matter to the ABJM model by adding D6-branes wrapped asymptotically over RP3. We find two types of solutions at finite temperature, one that enters the black hole and one that ends before the black hole. We analyze the behavior of the free energy as a function of temperature, and find that the system exhibits a phase transition between the two types of solutions, similar to what happens in the D3-D7 system. We also analyze the meson spectrum in the model and find several massive scalar modes, again, quite like the D3-D7 system. We end with a calculation of the conductivities in the two phases.Comment: 26 pages, 6 figures; version published in JHE

Mesons from global Anti-de Sitter space

In the context of gauge/gravity duality, we study both probe D7-- and probe D5--branes in global Anti-de Sitter space. The dual field theory is N=4 theory on R x S^3 with added flavour. The branes undergo a geometrical phase transition in this geometry as function of the bare quark mass m_q in units of 1/R with R the S^3 radius. The meson spectra are obtained from fluctuations of the brane probes. First, we study them numerically for finite quark mass through the phase transition. Moreover, at zero quark mass we calculate the meson spectra analytically both in supergravity and in free field theory on R x S^3 and find that the results match: For the chiral primaries, the lowest level is given by the zero point energy or by the scaling dimension of the operator corresponding to the fluctuations, respectively. The higher levels are equidistant. Similar results apply to the descendents. Our results confirm the physical interpretation that the mesons cannot pair-produce any further when their zero-point energy exceeds their binding energy.Comment: 43 pages, 8 figures, references edited, few typos corrected, updated to match the published versio

Constraining melt geometries beneath the Afar Depression, Ethiopia from teleseismic receiver functions: the anisotropic H-κ stacking technique

Understanding the nature of the crust has long been a goal for seismologists when imaging the Earth. This is particularly true in volcanic regions where imaging melt storage and migration can have important implications for the size and nature of an eruption. Receiver functions and the H-κ stacking (Hκ) technique are often used to constrain crustal thickness (H) and the ratio of P to S wave velocities (κ). In this paper, I show that it is essential to consider anisotropy when performing Hκ. I show that in a medium with horizontally transverse isotropy a strong variation in κ with back azimuth is present, which characterizes the anisotropic medium. In a vertically transverse isotropic medium, no variation in κ with back azimuth is observed, but κ is increased across all back azimuths. Thus, estimates of κ are more difficult to relate to composition than previously thought. I extend these models to melt-induced anisotropy and show that similar patterns are observed, but with more significant variations and increases in κ. Based on these observations, I develop a new anisotropic H-κ stacking technique which inverts Hκ data for melt fraction, aspect ratio, and orientation of melt inclusions. I apply this to data for the Afar Depression and show that melt is stored in interconnected stacked sills in the lower crust, which likely supply the recent volcanic eruptions and dike intrusions. This new technique can be applied to any anisotropic medium where it can provide constraints on the average crustal anisotropy

Flavor from M5-branes

We study various aspects of the defect conformal field theory that arises when placing a single M5-brane probe in AdS_4 x S^7. We derive the full set of fluctuation modes and dimensions of the corresponding dual operators. We argue that the latter does not depend on the presence of a non-trivial magnetic flux on the M5-brane world-volume. Finally we give a mass to the hypermultiplet living on the defect, and compute the resulting mesonic spectrum.Comment: 19 page

Non-Equilibrium Field Dynamics of an Honest Holographic Superconductor

Most holographic models of superconducting systems neglect the effects of dynamical boundary gauge fields during the process of spontaneous symmetry-breaking. Usually a global symmetry gets broken. This yields a superfluid, which then is gauged "weakly" afterwards. In this work we build (and probe the dynamics of) a holographic model in which a local boundary symmetry is spontaneously broken instead. We compute two-point functions of dynamical non-Abelian gauge fields in the normal and in the broken phase, and find non-trivial gapless modes. Our AdS3 gravity dual realizes a p-wave superconductor in (1+1) dimensions. The ground state of this model also breaks (1+1)-dimensional parity spontaneously, while the Hamiltonian is parity-invariant. We discuss possible implications of our results for a wider class of holographic liquids.Comment: 32 pages, 12 figures; v3: string theory derivation of setup added (section 3.1), improved presentation, version accepted by JHEP; v2: paragraph added to discussion, figure added, references added, typos correcte

Holographic superfluids as duals of rotating black strings

We study the breaking of an Abelian symmetry close to the horizon of an uncharged rotating Anti-de Sitter black string in 3+1 dimensions. The boundary theory living on R^2 x S^1 has no rotation, but a magnetic field that is aligned with the axis of the black string. This boundary theory decribes non-rotating (2+1)-dimensional holographic superfluids with non-vanishing superfluid velocity. We study these superfluids in the grand canonical ensemble and show that for sufficiently small angular momentum of the dual black string and sufficiently small superfluid velocity the phase transition is 2nd order, while it becomes 1st order for larger superfluid velocity. Moreover, we observe that the phase transition is always 1st order above a critical value of the angular momentum independent of the choice of the superfluid velocity.Comment: 9 pages including 5 figures: v2: 12 pages including 7 figures; 2 figures added, discussion on free energy added; accepted for publication in JHE

Defect CFTs and holographic multiverse

We investigate some aspects of a recent proposal for a holographic description of the multiverse. Specifically, we focus on the implications on the suggested duality of the fluctuations of a bubble separating two universes with different cosmological constants. We do so by considering a similar problem in a 2+1 CFT with a codimension one defect, obtained by an M5-brane probe embedding in AdS_4x S^7, and studying its spectrum of fluctuations. Our results suggest that the kind of behavior required by the spectrum of bubble fluctuations is not likely to take place in defect CFTs with an AdS dual, although it might be possible if the defect supports a non-unitary theory.Comment: 19 pages; v2: typos fixed, minor changes

Assessment of the biochemical methane potential of in-house and outdoor stored pig and dairy cow manure by evaluating chemical composition and storage conditions

Biogas production is a suitable option for producing energy from dairy and pig manure types. During manure storage, organic matter degradation results in methane emissions decreasing the potential biogas yield. The present research advances the understanding of the biochemical methane potential (BMP) and the chemical characteristics of manure collected year-round from sequential stages of the liquid manure management chain of commercial dairy cow and pig farms. To this end, manure samples from six livestock farms in Germany were analyzed. The results showed that changes in chemical composition during storage led to a 20.5% decrease in the BMP of dairy manure from the barn to outdoor storage. For fattening pig manure samples, there was a 39.5% decrease in the BMP from intermediate to outdoor storage. An analysis of BMP according to manure age showed that pig manure degrades faster than dairy manure; the importance of promptly feeding manure to the biogas plant in order to avoid significant CH4 emission losses and reduction in energy producing capacity was highlighted. The best BMP predictors for dairy manure were the contents of dry matter, volatile solids and lignin, whereas best BMP predictors for pig manure were dry matter and volatile fatty acid (VFA) content. Prediction models performed well for samples from outdoor storages; refinements for predicting BMP of less aged samples presenting lower chemical variability would be necessary

The action for higher spin black holes in three dimensions

In the context of (2+1)--dimensional Chern-Simons SL(N,R)\times SL(N,R) gauge fields and spin N black holes we compute the on-shell action and show that it generates sensible and consistent thermodynamics. In particular, the Chern-Simons action solves the integrability conditions recently considered in the literature.Comment: Paper shortened and generalized. Main results unchanged. 25 pages, Latex, no figure