String theory and non-equilibrium phenomena in strongly interacting quantum systems

Add to your list(s) Download to your calendar using vCal

• Dr Andrei Starinets, U of Oxford
• Thursday 01 November 2012, 13:45-15:00
• Theory Library.

If you have a question about this talk, please contact Dr Dimitri M Gangardt.

For weakly interacting systems, transport coefficients can be computed by applying the standard methods of the kinetic theory. At strong coupling, however, these methods are inapplicable. Yet, there are strongly coupled systems exhibiting hydrodynamic behavior: hot and dense nuclear matter produced in heavy ion collisions and cold trapped atoms are the best known examples. A search for effective non-perturbative methods for computing transport in strongly interacting theories is thus a necessity.

Gauge-gravity duality is a useful tool for addressing this problem. We review the progress in applying the duality to finite-temperature quantum field theory. In particular, we show how the hydrodynamic behavior of field theory is reflected in the low-momentum limit of correlation functions computed through a real-time gauge-gravity prescription from dual gravity. We also show how the hydrodynamic modes in field theory correspond to the low-lying quasinormal modes of the dual gravity background.

This talk is part of the Theoretical Physics Seminars series.

This talk is included in these lists:

• Bham Talks
• Theoretical Physics Seminars
• Theory Library
• What's on in Physics?

Note that ex-directory lists are not shown.