D3-D7 Quark-Gluon Plasmas at Finite Baryon Density

We present the string dual to SU(Nc) N=4 SYM, coupled to Nf massless fundamental flavors, at finite temperature and baryon density. The solution is determined by two dimensionless parameters, both depending on the 't Hooft coupling $\lambda_h$ at the scale set by the temperature T: $\epsilon_h\sim\lambda_h Nf/Nc$, weighting the backreaction of the flavor fields and $\tilde\delta\sim\lambda_h^{-1/2}nb/(Nf T^3)$, where $nb$ is the baryon density. For small values of these two parameters the solution is given analytically up to second order. We study the thermodynamics of the system in the canonical and grand-canonical ensembles. We then analyze the energy loss of partons moving through the plasma, computing the jet quenching parameter and studying its dependence on the baryon density. Finally, we analyze certain "optical" properties of the plasma. The whole setup is generalized to non abelian strongly coupled plasmas engineered on D3-D7 systems with D3-branes placed at the tip of a generic singular Calabi-Yau cone. In all the cases, fundamental matter fields are introduced by means of homogeneously smeared D7-branes and the flavor symmetry group is thus a product of abelian factors.Comment: 27 pages; v2: 29 pages, 1 (new) figure, new section 4.4 on optical properties, references, comments added; v3: eq. (3.19), comments and a reference adde

On the geometry of string duals with backreacting flavors

Making use of generalized calibrated geometry and G-structures we put the problem of finding string-duals with smeared backreacting flavor branes in a more mathematical setting. This more formal treatment of the problem allows us to easily smear branes without good coordinate representations, establish constraints on the smearing form and identify a topological central charge in the SUSY algebra. After exhibiting our methods for a series of well known examples, we apply them to the problem of flavoring a supergravity-dual to a d=2+1 dimensional N=2 super Yang-Mills-like theory. We find new solutions to both the flavored and unflavored systems. Interpretating these turns out to be difficult.Comment: 38 pages - Typos corrected and references added - As published in JHE

Holographic Duals of Quark Gluon Plasmas with Unquenched Flavors

We review the construction of gravitational solutions holographically dual to N=1 quiver gauge theories with dynamical flavor multiplets. We focus on the D3-D7 construction and consider the finite temperature, finite quark chemical potential case where there is a charged black hole in the dual solution. Discussed physical outputs of the model include its thermodynamics (with susceptibilities) and general hydrodynamic properties.Comment: Lecture presented at the Workshop "AdS/CFT and Novel Approaches to Hadron and Heavy Ion Physics", Kavli Institute of Theoretical Physics (KITPC), Beijing, China, 13 October 2010. Review article to be published in Communications in Theoretical Physics. 27 pages, 2 figure

On unquenched N=2 holographic flavor

The addition of fundamental degrees of freedom to a theory which is dual (at low energies) to N=2 SYM in 1+3 dimensions is studied. The gauge theory lives on a stack of Nc D5 branes wrapping an S^2 with the appropriate twist, while the fundamental hypermultiplets are introduced by adding a different set of Nf D5-branes. In a simple case, a system of first order equations taking into account the backreaction of the flavor branes is derived (Nf/Nc is kept of order 1). From it, the modification of the holomorphic coupling is computed explicitly. Mesonic excitations are also discussed.Comment: 25 pages, 4 figure

N=1 gauge superpotentials from supergravity

We review the supergravity derivation of some non-perturbatively generated effective superpotentials for N=1 gauge theories. Specifically, we derive the Veneziano-Yankielowicz superpotential for pure N=1 Super Yang-Mills theory from the warped deformed conifold solution, and the Affleck-Dine-Seiberg superpotential for N=1 SQCD from a solution describing fractional D3-branes on a C^3 / Z_2 x Z_2 orbifold.Comment: LaTeX, iopart class, 8 pages, 3 figures. Contribution to the proceedings of the workshop of the RTN Network "The quantum structure of space-time and the geometric nature of fundamental interactions", Copenhagen, September 2003; v2: published version with minor clarification

The Sun's Preferred Longitudes and the Coupling of Magnetic Dynamo Modes

Observations show that solar activity is distributed non-axisymmetrically, concentrating at "preferred longitudes". This indicates the important role of non-axisymmetric magnetic fields in the origin of solar activity. We investigate the generation of the non-axisymmetric fields and their coupling with axisymmetric solar magnetic field. Our kinematic generation (dynamo) model operating in a sphere includes solar differential rotation, which approximates the differential rotation obtained by inversion of helioseismic data, modelled distributions of the turbulent resistivity, non-axisymmetric mean helicity, and meridional circulation in the convection zone. We find that (1) the non-axisymmetric modes are localised near the base of the convection zone, where the formation of active regions starts, and at latitudes around $30^{\circ}$; (2) the coupling of non-axisymmetric and axisymmetric modes causes the non-axisymmetric mode to follow the solar cycle; the phase relations between the modes are found. (3) The rate of rotation of the first non-axisymmetric mode is close to that determined in the interplanetary space.Comment: 22 pages, 18 figures. Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journa

The Gravity dual of the Non-Perturbative N=2 N = 2 SUSY Yang-Mills Theory

The anomalous Ward identity is derived for $N = 2$ SUSY Yang-Mills theories, which is resulted out of Wrapping of $D_5$ branes on Supersymmetric two cycles. From the Ward identity One obtains the Witten-Dijkgraaf-Verlinde-Verlinde equation and hence can solve for the pre-potential. This way one avoids the problem of enhancon which maligns the non-perturbative behaviour of the Yang-Mills theory resulted out of Wrapped branes.Comment: 4 pages, LaTeX. Talk given at the IXth International Symposium on Particles, Strings and Cosmology PASCOS '03, Mumbai-India, January 3-8 2003. v2:some reference adde

Counterterms and dual holographic anomalies in CS gravity

The holographic Weyl anomaly associated to Chern-Simons gravity in 2n+1 dimensions is proportional to the Euler term in 2n dimensions, with no contributions from the Weyl tensor. We compute the holographic energy-momentum tensor associated to Chern-Simons gravity directly from the action, in an arbitrary odd-dimensional spacetime. We show, in particular, that the counterterms rendering the action finite contain only terms of the Lovelock type.Comment: 10 pages, no figure

Towards multi-scale dynamics on the baryonic branch of Klebanov-Strassler

We construct explicitly a new class of backgrounds in type-IIB supergravity which generalize the baryonic branch of Klebanov-Strassler. We apply a solution-generating technique that, starting from a large class of solutions of the wrapped-D5 system, yields the new solutions, and then proceed to study in detail their properties, both in the IR and in the UV. We propose a simple intuitive field theory interpretation of the rotation procedure and of the meaning of our new solutions within the Papadopoulos-Tseytlin ansatz, in particular in relation to the duality cascade in the Klebanov-Strassler solution. The presence in the field theory of different VEVs for operators of dimensions 2, 3 and 6 suggests that this is an important step towards the construction of the string dual of a genuinely multi-scale (strongly coupled) dynamical model.Comment: 37 pages, 7 figures. References added, version to appear in JHE

The Holographic Dual of 2+1 Dimensional QFTs with N=1 SUSY and Massive Fundamental Flavours

The Maldacena Nastase solution is generalised to include massive fundamental matter through the addition of a flavour profile. This gives a holographic dual to N=1 SYM-CS with massive fundamental matter with a singularity free IR. We study this solution in some detail confirming confinement and asymptotic freedom. A recently proposed solution generating technique is then applied which results in a new type-IIA supergravity solution. In a certain limit the geometry of this solution is asymptotically AdS_4X Y, where Y is the metric at the base of the Bryant-Salamon G_2 cone, which has topology S^3XS^3.Comment: 31 pages plus appendices, 6 figures. v3: Typos corrected, version to appear in JHE