arXiv subjects

Nicolas Kovensky

Publications and source records attributed to Nicolas Kovensky.

32 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2022

Isospin asymmetry in holographic baryonic matter

We study baryonic matter with isospin asymmetry, including fully dynamically its interplay with pion condensation. To this end, we employ the holographic Witten-Sakai-Sugimoto model and the so-called homogeneous ansatz for the gauge fields in the bulk to describe baryonic matter. Within the confined geometry and restricting ourselves to the chiral limit, we map out the phase structure in the presence of baryon and isospin chemical potentials, showing that for sufficiently large chemical potentials condensed pions and isospin-asymmetric baryonic matter coexist. We also present first results of the same approach in the deconfined geometry and demonstrate that this case, albeit technically more involved, is better suited for comparisons with and predictions for real-world QCD. Our study lays the ground for future improved holographic studies aiming towards a realistic description of charge neutral, beta-equilibrated matter in compact stars, and also for more refined comparisons with lattice studies at nonzero isospin chemical potential.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2021

Predictions for neutron stars from holographic nuclear matter

We discuss masses, radii, and tidal deformabilities of neutron stars constructed from the holographic Witten-Sakai-Sugimoto model. Using the same model for crust and core of the star, we combine our theoretical results with the latest astrophysical data, thus deriving more stringent constraints than given by the data alone. For instance, our calculation predicts -- independent of the model parameters -- an upper limit for the maximal mass of the star of about 2.46 solar masses and a lower limit of the (dimensionless) tidal deformability of a 1.4-solar-mass star of about 277.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2020

Holographic quarkyonic matter

We point out a new configuration in the Witten-Sakai-Sugimoto model, allowing baryons in the pointlike approximation to coexist with fundamental quarks. The resulting phase is a holographic realization of quarkyonic matter, which is predicted to occur in QCD at a large number of colors, and possibly plays a role in real-world QCD as well. We find that holographic quarkyonic matter is chirally symmetric and that, for large baryon chemical potentials, it is energetically preferred over pure nuclear matter and over pure quark matter. The zero-temperature transition from nuclear matter to the quarkyonic phase is of first order in the chiral limit and for a realistic pion mass. For pion masses far beyond the physical point we observe a quark-hadron continuity due to the presence of quarkyonic matter.

hep-th↗

arXiv2020

Winding modes and the reflection symmetry in AdS$_3$

We compute the contact term of the two-point function for the SL($2,\mathbb R$)-WZNW model in the winding sector. After reviewing some generalities of the model and its Euclidean counterpart, we discuss the reflection symmetry for the spectral flowed sector. We define the corresponding intertwining operator and use it to find the explicit form of the contact term of the propagator for a vertex carrying an arbitrary amount of spectral flow. Finally, we enhance the already known integral expression of a singly flowed vertex in order to reproduce such contact term directly in the space-time picture.

hep-th↗

arXiv2020

Heavy Holographic QCD

We study the phase structure of the Witten-Sakai-Sugimoto model in the plane of temperature and baryon chemical potential, including the effect of a nonzero current quark mass. Our study is performed in the decompactified limit of the model, which, at least regarding the chiral phase transition, appears to be closer to real-world QCD than the original version. Following earlier studies, we account for the quark mass in an effective way based on an open Wilson line operator whose expectation value is identified with the chiral condensate. We find that the quark mass stabilizes a configuration with string sources and point out that this phase plays an important role in the phase diagram. Furthermore, we show that the quark mass breaks up the first-order chiral phase transition curve and introduces critical points to the phase diagram. Similarities of the phase structure to other holographic approaches and to lattice simulations of "heavy QCD" are found and discussed. By making holographic QCD more realistic, our results open the door to a better understanding of real-world strongly coupled hot and dense matter.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2020

Gaugino mass term for D-branes and Generalized Complex Geometry

We compute the four-dimensional gaugino mass for a Dp-brane extended in spacetime and wrapping a cycle on the internal geometry in a warped compactification with fluxes. Motivated by the backreaction of gaugino bilinear VEVs, we use Generalized Complex Geometry to characterize the internal geometry as well as the cycle wrapped by the brane. We find that the RR fluxes and the non-closure of the generalized complex structures combine in the gaugino mass terms in the same form as they do in the bulk superpotential, while for the NSNS fluxes there is a crucial minus sign in the component normal to the brane. Our expression extends the known result for D3 and D7-branes in Calabi-Yau manifolds, where the gaugino masses are induced respectively by the imaginary anti-self dual and imaginary self-dual components of the complex 3-form flux $G_3$.

hep-th↗

arXiv2019

Kähler moduli stabilization from ten dimensions

We describe the back-reaction of gaugino condensates in supersymmetric AdS$_4$ Type II String Theory compactifications with fluxes. We use generalized complex geometry to capture the modification of the ten-dimensional supersymmetry equations and show that the cosmological constant prevents the cycle wrapped by the branes with gaugino condensation from shrinking to zero size. Thus, unlike in ordinary geometric transitions in flat space, the volume of this cycle remains finite. For D7 branes with gaugino condensation, this gives a ten-dimensional account of Kähler moduli stabilization. Furthermore, by matching the ten-dimensional supergravity solutions near and far from the cycle wrapped by the D7 branes, we find a relation between the size of this cycle and the cosmological constant. This relation agrees with the supersymmetric AdS vacuum condition obtained by KKLT using effective field theory.

hep-th↗

arXiv2018

1/N corrections to $F_1$ and $F_2$ structure functions of vector mesons from holography

The structure functions $F_1$ and $F_2$ of the hadronic tensor of vector mesons are obtained at order $1/N$ and strong coupling using the gauge/gravity duality. We find that the large $N$ limit and the high energy one do not commute. Thus, by considering the high energy limit first, our results of the first moments of $F_1$ for the rho meson agree well with those from lattice QCD, with an important improvement of the accuracy with respect to the holographic dual calculation in the planar limit.

hep-th↗

arXiv2018

Deep inelastic scattering from polarized spin-$1/2$ hadrons at low $x$ from string theory

We study polarized deep inelastic scattering of charged leptons from spin-$1/2$ hadrons at low values of the Bjorken parameter and large 't Hooft coupling in terms of the gauge/string theory duality. We calculate the structure functions from type IIB superstring theory scattering amplitudes. We discuss the role of the non-Abelian Chern-Simons term and the Pauli term from the five-dimensional $SU(4)$ gauged supergravity. Furthermore, the exponentially small-$x$ regime where Regge physics becomes important is analyzed in detail for the antisymmetric structure functions. In this case the holographic dual picture of the Pomeron exchange is realized by a Reggeized gauge field. We compare our results with experimental data of the proton antisymmetric structure function $g_1$, obtaining a very good level of agreement.

hep-th↗

arXiv2017

DIS off glueballs from string theory: the role of the chiral anomaly and the Chern-Simons term

We calculate the structure function $F_3(x,q^2)$ of the hadronic tensor of deep inelastic scattering (DIS) of charged leptons from glueballs of ${\cal {N}}=4$ SYM theory at strong coupling and at small values of the Bjorken parameter in the gauge/string theory duality framework. This is done in terms of type IIB superstring theory scattering amplitudes. From the AdS$_5$ perspective, the relevant part of the scattering amplitude comes from the five-dimensional non-Abelian Chern-Simons terms in the $SU(4)$ gauged supergravity obtained from dimensional reduction on $S^5$. From type IIB superstring theory we derive an effective Lagrangian describing the four-point interaction in the local approximation. The exponentially small regime of the Bjorken parameter is investigated using Pomeron techniques.

hep-th↗

arXiv2016

Deep inelastic scattering off scalar mesons in the 1/N expansion from the D3D7-brane system

Deep inelastic scattering (DIS) of charged leptons off scalar mesons in the $1/N$ expansion is studied by using the gauge/gravity duality. We focus on the D3D7-brane system and investigate the corresponding structure functions by considering both the high energy limit and the $1/N$ expansion. These limits do not commute. From the D7-brane DBI action we derive a Lagrangian at sub-leading order in the D7-brane fluctuations and obtain a number of interactions some of which become relevant for two-hadron final-state DIS. By considering first the high energy limit followed by the large $N$ one, our results fit lattice QCD data within $1.27\%$ for the first three moments of $F_2$ for the lightest pseudoscalar meson.

hep-th↗

arXiv2016

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 $Λ^2/q^2$ 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 $Λ$. These limits do not commute.

hep-th↗

arXiv2015

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.

hep-th↗

arXiv2014

Hadron structure functions at small $x$ from string theory

Deep inelastic scattering of leptons from hadrons at small values of the Bjorken parameter $x$ is studied from superstring theory. In particular, we focus on single-flavored scalar and vector mesons in the large $N$ limit. This is studied in terms of different holographic dual models with flavor Dp-branes in type IIA and type IIB superstring theories, in the strong coupling limit of the corresponding dual gauge theories. We derive the hadronic tensor and the structure functions for scalar and polarized vector mesons. In particular, for polarized vector mesons we obtain the eight structure functions at small values of the Bjorken parameter. The main result is that we obtain new relations of the Callan-Gross type for several structure functions. These relations have similarities for all different Dp-brane models that we consider. This would suggest their universal character, and therefore, it is possible that they hold for strongly coupled QCD in the large $N$ limit.

hep-th↗