Quantum corrections to dynamical holographic thermalization: entanglement entropy and other non-local observables

We investigate the thermalization time scale in the planar limit of the SU(N) N=4 SYM plasma at strong yet finite 't Hooft coupling by considering its supergravity dual description, including the full O(alpha'^3) type IIB string theory corrections. We also discuss on the effects of the leading non-planar corrections. We use extended geometric probes in the bulk which are dual to different non-local observables in the N=4 SYM theory. This is carried out within the framework of dynamical holographic thermalization.Comment: 19 pages, 4 figures. V2: References added, 1 figure added, 1 figure corrected, enlarged discussions about extended probes, typos corrected. Published versio

Deep inelastic scattering cross sections from the gauge/string duality

Differential cross sections of deep inelastic scattering of charged leptons from hadrons are investigated by using the gauge/string duality. We consider vector mesons derived from different holographic dual models obtaining a general expression. We focus on the strongly coupled regime of dual gauge theories for different values of the Bjorken parameter. We find new predictions which are particularly interesting for differential scattering cross sections of polarized leptons scattered off polarized vector mesons. We also carry out a detailed comparison of the moments of the structure functions with lattice QCD results.Comment: 42 pages, 5 tables, 9 figure

Deep inelastic scattering structure functions of holographic spin-1 hadrons with Nf≥1N_f \geq 1

Two-point current correlation functions of the large $N$ limit of supersymmetric and non-supersymmetric Yang-Mills theories at strong coupling are investigated in terms of their string theory dual models with quenched flavors. We consider non-Abelian global symmetry currents, which allow one to investigate vector mesons with $N_f > 1$. From the correlation functions we construct the deep inelastic scattering hadronic tensor of spin-one mesons, obtaining the corresponding eight structure functions for polarized vector mesons. We obtain several relations among the structure functions. Relations among some of their moments are also derived. Aspects of the sub-leading contributions in the $1/N$ and $N_f/N$ expansions are discussed. At leading order we find a universal behavior of the hadronic structure functions.Comment: 48 pages, 8 figure

Towards 1/N corrections to deep inelastic scattering from the gauge/gravity duality

$1/N^2$ corrections to deep inelastic scattering (DIS) of charged leptons from glueballs at strong coupling are investigated in the framework of the gauge/gravity duality. The structure functions $F_1$ and $F_2$ (and also $F_L$) are studied at subleading order in the $1/N^2$ expansion, in terms of $q^2$ and the Bjorken parameter $x$. The relevant type IIB supergravity one-loop diagrams (which correspond to DIS with two-hadron final states) are studied in detail, while $n$-loop diagrams (corresponding to DIS with $(n+1)$-hadron final states) are briefly discussed. The $1/N^{2n}$ and $\Lambda^2/q^2$ dependence of the structure functions is analyzed. Within this context two very different limits are considered: one is the large $N$ limit and the other one is when the virtual photon momentum transfer $q$ is much larger than the infrared confining scale $\Lambda$. These limits do not commute.Comment: 45 page

Warped Deformed Throats have Faster (Electroweak) Phase Transitions

We study the dynamics of the finite-temperature phase transition for warped Randall-Sundrum(RS)-like throat models related to the Klebanov-Tseytlin solution. We find that, for infrared branes stabilized near the tip of the throat, the bounce action has a mild N^2 dependence, where N(y) \sim [M_5 L(y)]^{3/2} is the effective number of degrees of freedom of the holographic dual QFT, and where L(y) is the local curvature radius, which decreases in the infrared. In addition, the bounce action is not enhanced by large numbers. These features allow the transition to successfully complete over a wider parameter range than for Goldberger-Wise stabilized RS models. Due to the increase of L(y) in the ultraviolet, the throat has a reliable gravitational description even when the number of infrared degrees of freedom is small. We also comment on aspects of the thermal phase transition in Higgsless models, where the gauge symmetry breaking is achieved via boundary conditions. Such models include orbifold-GUT models and the Higgsless electroweak symmetry breaking theories of Csaki et al., with Standard Model gauge fields living in the bulk.Comment: published version, 18 pages, minor typo corrected, reference adde

Hagedorn transition, vortices and D0 branes: Lessons from 2+1 confining strings

We study the behaviour of Polyakov confining string in the Georgi-Glashow model in three dimensions near confining-deconfining phase transition described in hep-th/0010201. In the string language, the transition mechanism is the decay of the confining string into D0 branes (charged W bosons of the Georgi-Glashow model). In the world-sheet picture the world-lines of heavy D0 branes at finite temperature are represented as world-sheet vortices of a certain type, and the transition corresponds to the condensation of these vortices. We also show that the ``would be'' Hagedorn transition in the confining string (which is not realized in our model) corresponds to the monopole binding transition in the field theoretical language. The fact that the decay into D0 branes occurs at lower than the Hagedorn temperature is understood as the consequence of the large thickness of the confining string and finite mass of the $D0$ branes.Comment: 31 pages, Late

Dynamics of holographic thermalization

Dynamical evolution of thin shells composed by different kinds of degrees of freedom collapsing within asymptotically AdS spaces is explored with the aim of investigating models of holographic thermalization of strongly coupled systems. From the quantum field theory point of view this corresponds to considering different thermal quenches. We carry out a general study of the thermalization time scale using different parameters and space-time dimensions, by calculating renormalized space-like geodesic lengths and rectangular minimal area surfaces as extended probes of thermalization, which are dual to two-point functions and rectangular Wilson loops. Different kinds of degrees of freedom in the shell are described by their corresponding equations of state. We consider a scalar field, as well as relativistic matter, a pressureless massive fluid and conformal matter, which can be compared with the collapse of an AdS-Vaidya thin shell. Remarkably, for conformal matter, the thermalization time scale becomes much larger than the others. Furthermore, in each case we also investigate models where the cosmological constants of the inner and outer regions separated by the shell are different. We found that in this case only a scalar field shell collapses, and that the thermalization time scale is also much larger than the AdS-Vaidya case.Comment: 25 pages, 4 figures. V2: published versio