arXiv subjects

Fabrizio Canfora

Publications and source records attributed to Fabrizio Canfora.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Inhomogeneous Cosmologies with Bumpy Structure from Superfluid Pionic Vortices and the propagation of electromagnetic field

In this work we introduce exact cosmological solutions in General Relativity in (3+1) dimensions which take into account both the usual fluid component as well as a superfluid component describing superfluid Pionic vortices. Such superfluid vortices are source of inhomogeneities which can be treated exactly, no perturbation theory is required. These analytic solutions are relevant to obtain a non-perturbative description of inhomogeneities in cosmology. We discuss the peculiar effects of these hadronic inhomogeneities on the propagation of electromagnetic fields on such cosmological backgrounds analyzing possible observable effects. Finally, the properties that the effective superfluid satisfy for such solutions to exist are discussed, together with possible extensions of this family of solutions.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2026

Bumpy horizons from non-linear sigma models

We show that black hole horizons with non-constant curvature can be constructed in any even dimension, when the source of the Einstein equations is given by the stress-energy tensor of a non-linear sigma model of a particular class

hep-th↗

arXiv2026

Minimal superfluid vortices in chiral perturbation theory

We derive some properties of rotational vortices in the pion condensed phase. Employing leading order chiral perturbation theory we determine the minimal energy condition for vortex nucleation. Vortices have quantized angular momentum along the rotation axis, an hallmark of superfluidity, and self-confine pions. The critical rotation frequency for vortex nucleation is estimated.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2026

Hadronic lensing

We introduce an analytic approach to study gravitational lensing in the presence of a distribution of hadrons. The situation is analogous to the propagation of photons in a medium with a nontrivial Cooper-pair condensate, where the photon acquires an effective mass term that may depend on the coordinates if the condensate is not homogeneous. As a result, photons generally do not follow null geodesics in the hadronic medium. In this setup, hadrons are described by the nonlinear sigma model minimally coupled to Maxwell theory. The modified Raychaudhuri equation, including hadronic corrections, is derived, along with the integral curves of probe photons in the eikonal approximation. These results are consistent with the theory of gravitational lensing in plasma media, with the advantage that transport properties, such as the refractive index, can be expressed analytically in terms of the hadronic density without assuming a phenomenological modeling thereof. As an example, we study the hadronic lensing produced by an analytic black hole sourced by superfluid pionic vortices, and we obtain the hadronic correction to the deflection angle in the weak-field limit.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2026

Chiral-Maxwell Cavity EFT: Photon Condensation and Quantum-Optics Limits

We develop an analytic, fully field-theoretic description of how a hadronic medium can induce photon condensation in a cavity. Starting from leading-order Chiral Perturbation Theory minimally coupled to Maxwell theory, we construct a consistent truncation to the lowest hadronic and gauge modes that still supports a non-vanishing baryon (topological) density. The resulting reduced dynamics is an effective $1+1$ theory whose couplings retain memory of the three-dimensional cavity through discrete winding and transverse holonomy data. Integrating out the heavy hadronic mode at one loop yields a gauge-invariant effective potential for the lowest photonic cavity mode, from which we derive analytic criteria for a condensed window. In the opposite hierarchy, integrating out the gauge mode produces a one-loop deformation of a sine--Gordon-type EFT for the chiral mode and makes explicit where scale separation fails and the full coupled system must be kept. Upon quantization, the reduced theory maps onto standard nonlinear quantum-optics Hamiltonians, including a two-photon Rabi limit and quartic single-mode photonic models whose trivial and condensed branches obey distinct selection rules. This provides a concrete bridge between finite-density hadronic physics and experimentally familiar nonlinear-cavity diagnostics.

hep-th↗

arXiv2026

A smooth road to bumpy horizons: shaping black holes with non-linear sigma models, from supergravity to higher dimensions

We construct new families of solutions for General Relativity coupled to a general class of non-linear sigma models, some of which can be embedded in supergravity. The solutions include neutral, charged and magnetized black holes with bumpy horizons, bumpy stars, and anisotropic cosmologies in $d\geq 4$ dimensions, as well as black strings and black $p$-branes. We also present a family of time-dependent solutions in $2+1$-dimensions. The construction relies on a set of first-order Bogomol'nyi-Prasad-Sommerfield relations for the coset scalars, that were recently exploited for the construction of bumpy black holes on the non-linear sigma model with homogenous target $SU(2)/U(1)$ in 2601.22914 [hep-th].

hep-th↗

arXiv2026

Exact black holes and black branes with bumpy horizons supported by superfluid pions

We present exact solutions of the Einstein $SU(2)$ non-linear sigma model in $3+1$ spacetime dimensions, describing bumpy black holes and black branes. Using an Ansatz for superfluid pion multi-vortices, the matter sector reduces to a first-order BPS system, while the Einstein equations reduce to a Liouville equation with a smooth source governing the horizon deformation. These solutions describe horizons of different constant curvatures, with nontrivial bumpy geometries protected by an integer topological invariant, namely the vorticity, which also controls the number of bumps and the black hole thermodynamics. Remarkably, such horizons arise in a minimal and physically motivated matter model, without invoking exotic fields or modified gravity. The physical implications of these results in holography and astrophysics are briefly described.

hep-th↗

arXiv2026

Melvin--Bonnor and Bertotti--Robinson spacetimes with Baryonic charge

In this work, we exploit a dictionary that maps solutions of the Einstein--Scalar--Maxwell theory to those of gauged Skyrme--Maxwell--Einstein models in $(3+1)$ dimensions, allowing gravitating scalar-field configurations in external electromagnetic backgrounds to be interpreted in terms of baryonic quantities. Using the definition of Baryonic charge as the integral of a topological density, we derive novel mass formulas that relate the spacetime mass parameter to the Baryonic charge, the external magnetic field, and other solution parameters. As a result, the mass and Baryonic charge are not independent. These closed analytic expressions encode physical information that would otherwise be difficult to extract. In particular, for the class of solutions considered here, the relation between mass and Baryonic charge is linear at large mass, while significant nonlinear deviations appear at intermediate values. This framework provides a useful tool for both extracting new physical insights from known solutions and constructing new baryonic configurations using the solution-generating techniques available for Einstein--Scalar--Maxwell theory.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2026

Detecting the finer structure of the P vs NP problem with statistical mechanics: the case of the Wang tiling problem

We introduce the idea that the P vs NP problem can have a finer structure. Given the NP complete problem of interest, the configurations space of the problem can be divided in (at least) two regions. In one region, polynomial algorithms to solve the NP complete problem of interest are available (and we discuss one possible realization inspire by the games of chess and go). In the second region the problem to find polynomial time algorithms is very similar to the problem to find polynomial time algorithms to determine the asymptotic behavior of discrete dynamical systems in the chaotic regime. We cannot exclude the existence of a third region which separates the first two: this region would have the characteristics of the edge of chaos. We focuss on the Wang tiling problem of an N X N square (with N large): here a Wang tiles set Gamma is an alphabet. We construct a statistical-physics inspired heuristic which allows to define good alphabets as the ones with a good thermodynamical behavior. For (a suitable subclass of) good alphabets we construct an algortihm which, in polynomial time, determines how to tile the N x N square. On the other hand, for bad alphabets, we observe a chaotic behavior. The Cook-Levin theorem advocate a similar pattern for all the NP-complete problems.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2026

Generation of gravitating solutions with Baryonic charge from Einstein-Scalar-Maxwell seeds

We establish, for the first time, an exact correspondence between Einstein-scalar-Maxwell theory and gauged Skyrme-Maxwell-Einstein models in (3+1) dimensions. By constructing the simplest consistent ansatz within the gauged Skyrme-Maxwell framework, we reveal a remarkable equivalence in a sector that admits nonvanishing, highly magnetized baryonic charge. This correspondence has a particularly appealing consequence: it transfers the full power of solution-generating techniques developed for electrovacuum systems-many of which naturally accommodate scalar fields to the considerably more intricate setting of gauged Skyrme-Maxwell theory minimally coupled to General Relativity. As a result, it opens the door to a systematic and much broader exploration of exact solutions in Skyrme-Maxwell-Einstein theory and of their potential applications in cosmology and astrophysics. Notably, the resulting configurations carry nonzero baryonic charge whenever the derivative of the hadronic profile along the magnetic field lines does not vanish. As an illustrative example, we apply this new dictionary to a rotating Kerr-Newman-like spacetime dressed with a scalar field. In the corresponding Skyrme-Maxwell-Einstein solution, the quantization of the baryonic charge enforces a quantization of the Kerr rotation parameter. We derive an upper bound on the baryonic charge in terms of the integration constants of the solution and show that, in the regime of small baryonic charge, the rotation parameter depends linearly on the baryonic charge.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2025

Non-perturbative corrections to the Casimir energy for a scalar field theory with non-linear boundary conditions

We consider the case of a free real massive bulk scalar in D=4 dimensions, and embed two parallel plates as interfaces on which we impose non-linear boundary conditions, either Dirichlet- or Neumann-like, parameterized by a new coupling constant g. This mimics a non-Abelian gauge theory supplemented with boundary conditions on surfaces embedded in the bulk. We present the first evidence for a non-perturbative 1/g^2 boundary mass generation and its ensuing correction to the standard Casimir energy. This becomes possible by incorporating dynamical corrections to the effective boundary fields, which are used to build in the boundary conditions directly at the action level.

hep-th↗

arXiv2025

Self-dual instantons and gravitating dyons in non-Abelian ModMax theory

Motivated by the recent interest in conformal and duality invariant nonlinear electrodynamics, we study the non-Abelian extension of ModMax electrodynamics. The theory is parameterized by a single dimensionless constant, and it is continuously connected to Yang-Mills theory in its vanishing limit. We show that the theory admits (anti-)self-dual instantons, despite the additional nonlinearities that characterize the non-Abelian ModMax theory. For $SU(2)$, we construct the generalization of the BPST instanton and extend this solution to Euclidean de Sitter and anti-de Sitter backgrounds. In the latter case, the Chern-Pontryagin index depends on the instanton size since the configuration is not a pure gauge at infinity; a property already pointed out in Yang-Mills on negative-curvature backgrounds by Callan and Wilczek. We compute the contribution of the latter to the spectrum of the Dirac operator at the boundary, which is crucial for determining the non-local contributions to the Dirac index. Then, we show that the ansatz constructed with 't Hooft symbols accommodates multi-instantons in the non-Abelian ModMax theory. The system of (anti-)self-dual equations reduces to a single nonlinear equation, which can be perturbatively solved order by order in the parameter that controls the nonlinearity. Following such a strategy, we provide a formal solution for the $N$-instanton configuration to first order in the expansion. Then, we couple non-Abelian ModMax theory to gravity with a conformally coupled scalar field and construct new gravitating solutions that describe Euclidean wormholes and other smooth configurations with secondary hair.

hep-th↗

arXiv2025

Universality of the chiral soliton lattice and its interaction with quark matter

In this paper, we show that the chiral soliton lattice (ChSL) is, in a precise sense, a universal feature of the low-energy limit of QCD minimally coupled to Maxwell theory. Here, we disclose that not only can the ChSL be obtained from the gauged Skyrme model in $3+1$ dimensions, including the back-reaction of the Maxwell $U(1)$ gauge field, we also demonstrate that the ChSL remains unchanged when higher-order terms arising from QCD, specifically the sub-leading corrections in the 't Hooft large $N_c$ expansion, are included. By considering a suitable ansatz adapted to describe topological solitons at finite baryon density in a constant magnetic field, the generalized Skyrme model coupled to the Maxwell theory is reduced to the effective Lagrangian of the ChSL phase, which describes a lattice of domain walls made of hadrons. One of the key points in this construction is the fact that even when the usual topological charge density vanishes, the presence of the Callan-Witten term in the topological charge density allows for a non-vanishing baryon number. In the present approach, the magnetic field can be external, as is usually assumed for the ChSL, or it can be self-consistently generated by the hadronic layers themselves. Finally, we show how our formulation allows us to study the coupling of the ChSL with quark matter. In particular, we derive the exact analytical spectrum of the Dirac equation in the high-density limit, providing a microscopic characterization of the fermionic excitations within the inhomogeneous hadronic background provided by the ChSL. The comparison of the present spectrum of the Dirac operator within the ChSL with the spectrum of the usual Dirac operator in a constant magnetic field discloses the fundamental role of both the quark-Skyrmion coupling and the hadronic profile in opening a gap and generating a shift in the spectrum itself.

hep-th↗

arXiv2025

Partial decidability protocol for the Wang tiling problem from statistical mechanics and chaotic mapping

We introduce a partial decidability protocol for the Wang tiling problem (which is the prototype of undecidable problems in combinatorics and statistical physics) by constructing a suitable mapping from tilings of finite squares of different sizes. Such mapping depends on the initial family of Wang tiles (the alphabet) with which one would like to tile the plane. This allows to define effective entropy and temperature associated to the alphabet (together with the corresponding partition function). We identify a subclass of good alphabets by observing that when the entropy and temperature of a given alphabet are well-behaved in the thermodynamical sense then such alphabet is a good candidate to tile the infinite two-dimensional plane. Our proposal is tested successfully with the known available good alphabets (which produce periodic tilings, aperiodic but self-similar tilings as well as tilings which are neither periodic nor self-similar). Our analysis shows that the Kendall Tau coefficient is able to distinguish alphabets with a good thermodynamical behavior from alphabets with bad thermodynamical behavior. The transition from good to bad behavior is related to a transition from non-chaotic to chaotic regime in discrete dynamical systems of logistic type.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2025

Thermodynamics of magnetized BPS baryonic layers and the effects of the Isospin chemical potential

Through the Hamilton-Jacobi equation of classical mechanics, BPS magnetized Baryonic layers (possessing both baryonic charge and magnetic flux) have been constructed in the gauged non-linear sigma model (G-NLSM) minimally coupled to Maxwell theory, which is one of the most relevant effective theories for Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD) in the strongly interacting low-energy limit which also takes into account the electromagnetic interactions. Since the topological charge that naturally appears on the right hand side of the BPS bound is a non-linear function of the baryonic charge, the thermodynamics of these magnetized Baryonic layers is highly non-trivial. In this work, using tools from the theory of Casimir effect, we derive analytical relationship between baryonic charge, topological charge, magnetic flux and relevant thermodynamical quantities (such as pressure, specific heat and magnetic susceptibility) of these layers. The critical Baryonic chemical potential is identified. Quite interestingly, the grand canonical partition function can be related with the Riemann zeta function. On the technical side, it is quite a remarkable result to derive explicit expressions for all these thermodynamics quantities of a strongly interacting magnetized system at finite Baryon density. The effects of the Isospin chemical potential can be included as well: in particular, we will be able to construct explicitly the BPS bound and the corresponding BPS configurations also in the case in which the Isospin chemical potential is non-zero. The physical interpretations of our analytical results will be discussed.

hep-th↗

arXiv2025

Fractional vorticity, Bogomol'nyi-Prasad-Sommerfield systems and complex structures for the (generalized) spinor Gross-Pitaevskii equations

The (generalized) Gross-Pitaevskii equation (GPE) for a complex scalar field in two spatial dimensions is analyzed. It is shown that there is an infinite family of self-interaction potentials which admit Bogomol'nyi-Prasad-Sommerfield (BPS) bounds together with the corresponding first-order BPS systems. For each member of this family, the solutions of the first-order BPS systems are automatically solutions of the corresponding second-order generalized GPE. The simplest topologically non-trivial solutions of these first-order BPS systems describe configurations with quantized fractional vorticity. The corresponding fraction is related to the degree of non-linearity. The case in which the self-interaction potential is of order six (namely $|\Psi |^{6}$, which is a relevant theory both in relativistic quantum field theories in $(2+1)$ dimensions in connection with the quantum Hall effect as well as in the theory of the supersolids) is analyzed in detail. Such formalism can also be extended to the case of quantum mixtures with multi-component GPEs. The relationship between these techniques and supersymmetry will be discussed. In particular, despite several common features, we will show that there are multi-component GPEs that are not supersymmetric (at least, not in the standard sense) and possess a BPS system of the above type.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2025

Euclidean AdS wormholes and gravitational instantons in the Einstein-Skyrme theory

Euclidean AdS wormholes provide a natural setup for studying the AdS/CFT correspondence with multiple boundaries. However, from a bottom-up perspective, they cannot be embedded in the four-dimensional Einstein-AdS-Maxwell theory if these boundaries have positive curvature. Nevertheless, Maldacena and Maoz showed that this obstruction could be circumvented by introducing merons in the four-dimensional Einstein-AdS-Yang-Mills theory. In this work, we show that Euclidean-AdS wormholes also exist in the four-dimensional Einstein-AdS-Skyrme theory, whose matter sector possesses a nontrivial baryonic charge. We compute its free energy and show that it does not depend on the integration constants whatsoever, resembling topological solitons. Additionally, we obtain its holographic stress tensor and show that it vanishes, allowing us to interpret this configuration as a holographic Bogomol'nyi-Prasad-Sommerfield (BPS) state. Other topologically nontrivial ground states in Einstein-Skyrme theory are found, such as gravitational instantons, representing the homotopically inequivalent vacua of the theory. We find that they develop Hawking-Page phase transitions above a critical temperature. Some of these solutions are periodic in Euclidean time, representing the gravitational analog of calorons in Yang-Mills theory.

hep-th↗

arXiv2025

A Bogomol'nyi-Prasad-Sommerfield bound with a first-order system in the $2D$ Gross-Pitaevskii equation

A novel Bogomol'nyi-Prasad-Sommerfield (BPS) bound for the Gross-Pitaevskii equations in two spatial dimensions is presented. The energy can be bounded from below in terms of the combination of two boundary terms, one related to the vorticity (but ``dressed'' by the condensate profile) and the second to the ``skewness'' of the configurations. The bound is saturated by configurations that satisfy a system of two first-order partial differential equations. When such a BPS system is satisfied, the Gross-Pitaevskii equations are also satisfied. The analytic solutions of this BPS system in the present manuscript represent configurations with fractional vorticity living in an annulus. Using these techniques, we present the first analytic examples of this kind. The hydrodynamical interpretation of the BPS system is discussed, and the implications of these results are outlined.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗