45 research outputs found
Abelian-Higgs and Vortices from ABJM: towards a string realization of AdS/CMT
We present ans\"{a}tze that reduce the mass-deformed ABJM model to gauged
Abelian scalar theories, using the fuzzy sphere matrices . One such
reduction gives a Toda system, for which we find a new type of nonabelian
vortex. Another gives the standard Abelian-Higgs model, thereby allowing us to
embed all the usual (multi-)vortex solutions of the latter into the ABJM model.
By turning off the mass deformation at the level of the reduced model, we can
also continuously deform to the massive theory in the massless ABJM
case. In this way we can embed the Landau-Ginzburg model into the AdS/CFT
correspondence as a consistent truncation of ABJM. In this context, the mass
deformation parameter and a field VEV act as and
respectively, leading to a well-motivated AdS/CMT construction from string
theory. To further this particular point, we propose a simple model for the
condensed matter field theory that leads to an approximate description for the
ABJM abelianization. Finally, we also find some BPS solutions to the
mass-deformed ABJM model with a spacetime interpretation as an M2-brane ending
on a spherical M5-brane.Comment: 43 pages, latex, explanations added in the introduction, end of
section 4, and on page 2
Surprisingly Simple Spectra
The large N limit of the anomalous dimensions of operators in
super Yang-Mills theory described by restricted Schur polynomials, are studied.
We focus on operators labeled by Young diagrams that have two columns (both
long) so that the classical dimension of these operators is O(N). At large N
these two column operators mix with each other but are decoupled from operators
with columns. The planar approximation does not capture the large N
dynamics. For operators built with 2, 3 or 4 impurities the dilatation operator
is explicitly evaluated. In all three cases, in a certain limit, the dilatation
operator is a lattice version of a second derivative, with the lattice emerging
from the Young diagram itself. The one loop dilatation operator is diagonalized
numerically. All eigenvalues are an integer multiple of and there
are interesting degeneracies in the spectrum. The spectrum we obtain for the
one loop anomalous dimension operator is reproduced by a collection of harmonic
oscillators. This equivalence to harmonic oscillators generalizes giant
graviton results known for the BPS sector and further implies that the
Hamiltonian defined by the one loop large dilatation operator is
integrable. This is an example of an integrable dilatation operator, obtained
by summing both planar and non-planar diagrams.Comment: 34 page
Spinning strings and integrable spin chains in the AdS/CFT correspondence
In this introductory review we discuss dynamical tests of the AdS_5 x S^5
string/N=4 super Yang-Mills duality. After a brief introduction to AdS/CFT we
argue that semiclassical string energies yield information on the quantum
spectrum of the string in the limit of large angular momenta on the S^5. The
energies of the folded and circular spinning string solutions rotating on a S^3
within the S^5 are derived, which yield all loop predictions for the dual gauge
theory scaling dimensions. These follow from the eigenvalues of the dilatation
operator of N=4 super Yang-Mills in a minimal SU(2) subsector and we display
its reformulation in terms of a Heisenberg s=1/2 spin chain along with the
coordinate Bethe ansatz for its explicit diagonalization. In order to make
contact to the spinning string energies we then study the thermodynamic limit
of the one-loop gauge theory Bethe equations and demonstrate the matching with
the folded and closed string result at this loop order. Finally the known gauge
theory results at higher-loop orders are reviewed and the associated long-range
spin chain Bethe ansatz is introduced, leading to an asymptotic all-loop
conjecture for the gauge theory Bethe equations. This uncovers discrepancies at
the three-loop order between gauge theory scaling dimensions and string theory
energies and the implications of this are discussed. Along the way we comment
on further developments and generalizations of the subject and point to the
relevant literature.Comment: 40 pages, invited contribution to Living Reviews in Relativity. v2:
improvements in the text and references adde
The Deposition and Accumulation of Microplastics in Marine Sediments and Bottom Water from the Irish Continental Shelf
Abstract Microplastics are widely dispersed throughout the marine environment. An understanding of the distribution and accumulation of this form of pollution is crucial for gauging environmental risk. Presented here is the first record of plastic contamination, in the 5 mm–250 μm size range, of Irish continental shelf sediments. Sixty-two microplastics were recovered from 10 of 11 stations using box cores. 97% of recovered microplastics were found to reside shallower than 2.5 cm sediment depth, with the area of highest microplastic concentration being the water-sediment interface and top 0.5 cm of sediments (66%). Microplastics were not found deeper than 3.5 ± 0.5 cm. These findings demonstrate that microplastic contamination is ubiquitous within superficial sediments and bottom water along the western Irish continental shelf. Results highlight that cores need to be at least 4–5 cm deep to quantify the standing stock of microplastics within marine sediments. All recovered microplastics were classified as secondary microplastics as they appear to be remnants of larger items; fibres being the principal form of microplastic pollution (85%), followed by broken fragments (15%). The range of polymer types, colours and physical forms recovered suggests a variety of sources. Further research is needed to understand the mechanisms influencing microplastic transport, deposition, resuspension and subsequent interactions with biota
Giant Graviton Oscillators
We study the action of the dilatation operator on restricted Schur
polynomials labeled by Young diagrams with p long columns or p long rows. A new
version of Schur-Weyl duality provides a powerful approach to the computation
and manipulation of the symmetric group operators appearing in the restricted
Schur polynomials. Using this new technology, we are able to evaluate the
action of the one loop dilatation operator. The result has a direct and natural
connection to the Gauss Law constraint for branes with a compact world volume.
We find considerable evidence that the dilatation operator reduces to a
decoupled set of harmonic oscillators. This strongly suggests that
integrability in N=4 super Yang-Mills theory is not just a feature of the
planar limit, but extends to other large N but non-planar limits.Comment: 72 page
Microplastic-Associated Biofilms: A Comparison of Freshwater and Marine Environments
Microplastics (<5 mm particles) occur within both engineered and natural freshwater ecosystems, including wastewater treatment plants, lakes, rivers, and estuaries. While a significant proportion of microplastic pollution is likely sequestered within freshwater environments, these habitats also constitute an important conduit of microscopic polymer particles to oceans worldwide. The quantity of aquatic microplastic waste is predicted to dramatically increase over the next decade, but the fate and biological implications of this pollution are still poorly understood. A growing body of research has aimed to characterize the formation, composition, and spatiotemporal distribution of microplastic-associated (“plastisphere”) microbial biofilms. Plastisphere microorganisms have been suggested to play significant roles in pathogen transfer, modulation of particle buoyancy, and biodegradation of plastic polymers and co-contaminants, yet investigation of these topics within freshwater environments is at a very early stage. Here, what is known about marine plastisphere assemblages is systematically compared with up-to-date findings from freshwater habitats. Through analysis of key differences and likely commonalities between environments, we discuss how an integrated view of these fields of research will enhance our knowledge of the complex behavior and ecological impacts of microplastic pollutants
Targeting Huntington’s disease through histone deacetylases
Huntington’s disease (HD) is a debilitating neurodegenerative condition with significant burdens on both patient and healthcare costs. Despite extensive research, treatment options for patients with this condition remain limited. Aberrant post-translational modification (PTM) of proteins is emerging as an important element in the pathogenesis of HD. These PTMs include acetylation, phosphorylation, methylation, sumoylation and ubiquitination. Several families of proteins are involved with the regulation of these PTMs. In this review, I discuss the current evidence linking aberrant PTMs and/or aberrant regulation of the cellular machinery regulating these PTMs to HD pathogenesis. Finally, I discuss the evidence suggesting that pharmacologically targeting one of these protein families the histone deacetylases may be of potential therapeutic benefit in the treatment of HD