arXiv subjects

Niels A. Obers

Publications and source records attributed to Niels A. Obers.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2016

Torsional Newton-Cartan Geometry from the Noether Procedure

We apply the Noether procedure for gauging space-time symmetries to theories with Galilean symmetries, analyzing both massless and massive (Bargmann) realizations. It is shown that at the linearized level the Noether procedure gives rise to (linearized) torsional Newton-Cartan geometry. In the case of Bargmann theories the Newton-Cartan form $M_μ$ couples to the conserved mass current. We show that even in the case of theories with massless Galilean symmetries it is necessary to introduce the form $M_μ$ and that it couples to a topological current. Further, we show that the Noether procedure naturally gives rise to a distinguished affine (Christoffel type) connection that is linear in $M_μ$ and torsionful. As an application of these techniques we study the coupling of Galilean electrodynamics to TNC geometry at the linearized level.

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arXiv2016

Gravitational Tension, Spacetime Pressure and Black Hole Volume

We study the first law of black hole thermodynamics in the presence of surrounding gravitational fields and argue that variations of these fields are naturally incorporated in the first law by defining gravitational tension or gravitational binding energy. We demonstrate that this notion can also be applied in Anti-de Sitter spacetime, in which the surrounding gravitational field is sourced by a cosmological fluid, therefore showing that spacetime volume and gravitational tension encode the same physics as spacetime pressure and black hole volume. We furthermore show that it is possible to introduce a definition of spacetime pressure and black hole volume for any spacetime with characteristic length scales which does not necessarily require a cosmological constant sourcing Einstein equations. However, we show that black hole volume is non-universal in the flat spacetime limit, questioning its significance. We illustrate these ideas by studying the resulting black hole volume of Kaluza-Klein black holes and of a toy model for a black hole binary system in five spacetime dimensions (the black saturn solution) as well as of several novel perturbative black hole solutions. These include the higher-dimensional Kerr-Newman solution in Anti-de Sitter spacetime as well as other black holes in plane wave and Lifshitz spacetimes.

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arXiv2016

Lifshitz Hydrodynamics from Lifshitz Black Branes with Linear Momentum

We construct a new class of 4-dimensional z=2 Lifshitz black branes that have a nonzero linear momentum. These are solutions of an Einstein-Proca-dilaton model that can be obtained by Scherk-Schwarz circle reduction of AdS_5 gravity coupled to a free real scalar field. The boundary of a bulk Lifshitz space-time is a Newton-Cartan geometry. We show that the fluid dual to the moving Lifshitz black brane leads to a novel form of Lifshitz hydrodynamics on a Newton-Cartan space-time. Since the linear momentum of the black brane cannot be obtained by a boost transformation the velocity of the fluid or rather, by boundary rotational invariance, its magnitude plays the role of a chemical potential. The conjugate dual variable is mass density. The Lifshitz perfect fluid can be thought of as arising from a Schroedinger perfect fluid with broken particle number symmetry.

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arXiv2016

Non-Relativistic Chern-Simons Theories and Three-Dimensional Horava-Lifshitz Gravity

We show that certain three-dimensional Horava-Lifshitz gravity theories can be written as Chern-Simons gauge theories on various non-relativistic algebras. The algebras are specific extensions of the Bargmann, Newton-Hooke and Schroedinger algebra each of which has the Galilean algebra as a subalgebra. To show this we employ the fact that Horava-Lifshitz gravity corresponds to dynamical Newton-Cartan geometry. In particular, the extended Bargmann (Newton-Hooke) Chern-Simons theory corresponds to projectable Horava-Lifshitz gravity with a local U(1) gauge symmetry without (with) a cosmological constant. Moreover we identify an extended Schroedinger algebra containing 3 extra generators that are central with respect to the subalgebra of Galilean boosts, momenta and rotations, for which the Chern-Simons theory gives rise to a novel version of non-projectable conformal Horava-Lifshitz gravity that we refer to as Schroedinger gravity. This theory has a z=2 Lifshitz geometry as a vacuum solution and thus provides a new framework to study Lifshitz holography.

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arXiv2015

Horava-Lifshitz Gravity From Dynamical Newton-Cartan Geometry

Recently it has been established that torsional Newton-Cartan (TNC) geometry is the appropriate geometrical framework to which non-relativistic field theories couple. We show that when these geometries are made dynamical they give rise to Horava-Lifshitz (HL) gravity. Projectable HL gravity corresponds to dynamical Newton-Cartan (NC) geometry without torsion and non-projectable HL gravity corresponds to dynamical NC geometry with twistless torsion (hypersurface orthogonal foliation). We build a precise dictionary relating all fields (including the scalar khronon), their transformations and other properties in both HL gravity and dynamical TNC geometry. We use TNC invariance to construct the effective action for dynamical twistless torsional Newton-Cartan geometries in 2+1 dimensions for dynamical exponent 1<z\le 2 and demonstrate that this exactly agrees with the most general forms of the HL actions constructed in the literature. Further, we identify the origin of the U(1) symmetry observed by Horava and Melby-Thompson as coming from the Bargmann extension of the local Galilean algebra that acts on the tangent space to TNC geometries. We argue that TNC geometry, which is manifestly diffeomorphism covariant, is a natural geometrical framework underlying HL gravity and discuss some of its implications.

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arXiv2015

Lifshitz Space-Times for Schroedinger Holography

We show that asymptotically locally Lifshitz space-times are holographically dual to field theories that exhibit Schroedinger invariance. This involves a complete identification of the sources, which describe torsional Newton-Cartan geometry on the boundary and transform under the Schroedinger algebra. We furthermore identify the dual vevs from which we define and construct the boundary energy-momentum tensor and mass current and show that these obey Ward identities that are organized by the Schroedinger algebra. We also point out that even though the energy flux has scaling dimension larger than z+2, it can be expressed in terms of computable vev/source pairs.

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arXiv2015

Schroedinger Invariance from Lifshitz Isometries in Holography and Field Theory

We study non-relativistic field theory coupled to a torsional Newton-Cartan geometry both directly as well as holographically. The latter involves gravity on asymptotically locally Lifshitz space-times. We define an energy-momentum tensor and a mass current and study the relation between conserved currents and conformal Killing vectors for flat Newton-Cartan backgrounds. It is shown that flat NC space-time realizes two copies of the Lifshitz algebra that together form a Schroedinger algebra (without the central element). We show why the Schroedinger scalar model has both copies as symmetries and the Lifshitz scalar model only one. Finally we discuss the holographic dual of this phenomenon by showing that the bulk Lifshitz space-time realizes the same two copies of the Lifshitz algebra.

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arXiv2015

Field Theory on Newton-Cartan Backgrounds and Symmetries of the Lifshitz Vacuum

Holography for Lifshitz space-times corresponds to dual field theories on a fixed torsional Newton-Cartan (TNC) background. We examine the coupling of non-relativistic field theories to TNC backgrounds and uncover a novel mechanism by which a global U(1) can become local. This involves the TNC vector $M_μ$ which sources a particle number current, and which for flat NC space-time satisfies $M_μ=\partial_μM$ with a Schroedinger symmetry realized on $M$. We discuss various toy model field theories on flat NC space-time for which the new mechanism leads to extra global space-time symmetries beyond the generic Lifshitz symmetry, allowing for an enhancement to Schroedinger symmetry. On the holographic side, the source $M$ also appears in the Lifshitz vacuum with exactly the same properties as for flat NC space-time. In particular, the bulk diffeomorphisms that preserve the boundary conditions realize a Schroedinger algebra on $M$, allowing for a conserved particle number current. Finally, we present a probe action for a complex scalar field on the Lifshitz vacuum, which exhibits Schroedinger invariance in the same manner as seen in the field theory models.

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arXiv2014

Torsional Newton-Cartan Geometry and Lifshitz Holography

We obtain the Lifshitz UV completion in a specific model for z=2 Lifshitz geometries. We use a vielbein formalism which enables identification of all the sources as leading components of well-chosen bulk fields. We show that the geometry induced from the bulk onto the boundary is a novel extension of Newton-Cartan geometry with a specific torsion tensor. We explicitly compute all the vevs including the boundary stress-energy tensor and their Ward identities. After using local symmetries/Ward identities the system exhibits 6+6 sources and vevs. The FG expansion exhibits, however, an additional free function which is related to an irrelevant operator whose source has been turned off. We show that this is related to a second UV completion.

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arXiv2013

Boundary Stress-Energy Tensor and Newton-Cartan Geometry in Lifshitz Holography

For a specific action supporting z=2 Lifshitz geometries we identify the Lifshitz UV completion by solving for the most general solution near the Lifshitz boundary. We identify all the sources as leading components of bulk fields which requires a vielbein formalism. This includes two linear combinations of the bulk gauge field and timelike vielbein where one asymptotes to the boundary timelike vielbein and the other to the boundary gauge field. The geometry induced from the bulk onto the boundary is a novel extension of Newton-Cartan geometry that we call torsional Newton-Cartan (TNC) geometry. There is a constraint on the sources but its pairing with a Ward identity allows one to reduce the variation of the on-shell action to unconstrained sources. We compute all the vevs along with their Ward identities and derive conditions for the boundary theory to admit conserved currents obtained by contracting the boundary stress-energy tensor with a TNC analogue of a conformal Killing vector. We also obtain the anisotropic Weyl anomaly that takes the form of a Horava-Lifshitz action defined on a TNC geometry. The Fefferman-Graham expansion contains a free function that does not appear in the variation of the on-shell action. We show that this is related to an irrelevant deformation that selects between two different UV completions.

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arXiv2013

Electroelasticity of Charged Black Branes

We present the first-order corrected dynamics of fluid branes carrying higher-form charge by obtaining the general form of their equations of motion to pole-dipole order. Assuming linear response theory, we characterize the corresponding effective theory of stationary bent charged (an)isotropic fluid branes in terms of two sets of response coefficients, the Young modulus and the piezoelectric moduli. We subsequently find large classes of examples in gravity of this effective theory, by constructing stationary strained charged black brane solutions to first order in a derivative expansion. Using solution generating techniques and bent neutral black branes as a seed solution, we obtain a class of charged black brane geometries carrying smeared Maxwell charge in Einstein-Maxwell-dilaton gravity. In the specific case of ten-dimensional space-time we furthermore use T-duality to generate bent black branes with higher-form charge, including smeared D-branes of type II string theory. By subsequently measuring the bending moment and the electric dipole moment which these geometries acquire due to the strain, we uncover that their form is captured by classical electroelasticity theory. In particular, we find that the Young modulus and the piezoelectric moduli of our strained charged black brane solutions are parameterized by a total of 4 response coefficients, both for the isotropic as well as anisotropic cases.

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arXiv2013

Black Branes as Piezoelectrics

We find a realization of linear electroelasticity theory in gravitational physics by uncovering a new response coefficient of charged black branes, exhibiting their piezoelectric behavior. Taking charged dilatonic black strings as an example and using the blackfold approach we measure their elastic and piezolectric moduli. We also use our results to draw predictions about the equilibrium condition of charged dilatonic black rings in dimensions higher than six.

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arXiv2013

Null-Wave Giant Gravitons from Thermal Spinning Brane Probes

We construct and analyze thermal spinning giant gravitons in type II/M-theory based on spherically wrapped black branes, using the method of thermal probe branes originating from the blackfold approach. These solutions generalize in different directions recent work in which the case of thermal (non-spinning) D3-brane giant gravitons was considered, and reveal a rich phase structure with various new properties. First of all, we extend the construction to M-theory, by constructing thermal giant graviton solutions using spherically wrapped M2- and M5-branes. More importantly, we switch on new quantum numbers, namely internal spins on the sphere, which are not present in the usual extremal limit for which the brane world volume stress tensor is Lorentz invariant. We examine the effect of this new type of excitation and in particular analyze the physical quantities in various regimes, including that of small temperatures as well as low/high spin. As a byproduct we find new stationary dipole-charged black hole solutions in AdS_m X S^n backgrounds of type II/M-theory. We finally show, via a double scaling extremal limit, that our spinning thermal giant graviton solutions lead to a novel null-wave zero-temperature giant graviton solution with a BPS spectrum, which does not have an analogue in terms of the conventional weakly coupled world volume theory.

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arXiv2013

Holographic Models for Theories with Hyperscaling Violation

We study in detail a variety of gravitational toy models for hyperscaling-violating Lifshitz (hvLif) space-times. These space-times have been recently explored as holographic dual models for condensed matter systems. We start by considering a model of gravity coupled to a massive vector field and a dilaton with a potential. This model supports the full class of hvLif space-times and special attention is given to the particular values of the scaling exponents appearing in certain non-Fermi liquids. We study linearized perturbations in this model, and consider probe fields whose interactions mimic those of the perturbations. The resulting equations of motion for the probe fields are invariant under the Lifshitz scaling. We derive Breitenlohner-Freedman-type bounds for these new probe fields. For the cases of interest the hvLif space-times have curvature invariants that blow up in the UV. We study the problem of constructing models in which the hvLif space-time can have an AdS or Lifshitz UV completion. We also analyze reductions of Schroedinger space-times and reductions of waves on extremal (intersecting) branes, accompanied by transverse space reductions, that are solutions to supergravity-like theories, exploring the allowed parameter range of the hvLif scaling exponents.

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arXiv2012

Relativistic Elasticity of Stationary Fluid Branes

Fluid mechanics can be formulated on dynamical surfaces of arbitrary co-dimension embedded in a background space-time. This has been the main object of study of the blackfold approach in which the emphasis has primarily been on stationary fluid configurations. Motivated by this approach we show under certain conditions that a given stationary fluid configuration living on a dynamical surface of vanishing thickness and satisfying locally the first law of thermodynamics will behave like an elastic brane when the surface is subject to small deformations. These results, which are independent of the number of space-time dimensions and of the fluid arising from a gravitational dual, reveal the (electro)elastic character of (charged) black branes when considering extrinsic perturbations.

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arXiv2012

Thermal Giant Gravitons

We study the giant graviton solution as the AdS_5 X S^5 background is heated up to finite temperature. The analysis employs the thermal brane probe technique based on the blackfold approach. We focus mainly on the thermal giant graviton corresponding to a thermal D3-brane probe wrapped on an S^3 moving on the S^5 of the background at finite temperature. We find several interesting new effects, including that the thermal giant graviton has a minimal possible value for the angular momentum and correspondingly also a minimal possible radius of the S^3. We compute the free energy of the thermal giant graviton in the low temperature regime, which potentially could be compared to that of a thermal state on the gauge theory side. Moreover, we analyze the space of solutions and stability of the thermal giant graviton and find that, in parallel with the extremal case, there are two available solutions for a given temperature and angular momentum, one stable and one unstable. In order to write down the equations of motion, action and conserved charges for the thermal giant graviton we present a slight generalization of the blackfold formalism for charged black branes. Finally, we also briefly consider the thermal giant graviton moving in the AdS_5 part.

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arXiv2012

The Young Modulus of Black Strings and the Fine Structure of Blackfolds

We explore corrections in the blackfold approach, which is a worldvolume theory capturing the dynamics of thin black branes. The corrections probe the fine structure of the branes, going beyond the approximation in which they are infinitely thin, and account for the dipole moment of worldvolume stress-energy as well as the internal spin degrees of freedom. We show that the dipole correction is induced elastically by bending a black brane. We argue that the long-wavelength linear response coefficient capturing this effect is a relativistic generalization of the Young modulus of elastic materials and we compute it analytically. Using this we draw predictions for black rings in dimensions greater than six. Furthermore, we employ our corrected blackfold equations to various multi-spinning black hole configurations in the blackfold limit, finding perfect agreement with known analytic solutions.

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arXiv2012

Thermal string probes in AdS and finite temperature Wilson loops

We apply a new description of thermal fundamental string probes to the study of finite temperature Wilson loops in the context of the AdS/CFT correspondence. Previously this problem has been considered using extremal probes even though the background is at finite temperature. The new description of fundamental string probes is based on the blackfold approach. As a result of our analysis we find a new term in the potential between static quarks in the symmetric representation which for sufficiently small temperatures is the leading correction to the Coulomb force potential. We also find an order 1/N correction to the onset of the Debye screening of the quarks. These effects arise from including the thermal excitations of the string probe and demanding the probe to be in thermodynamic equilibrium with the Anti-de Sitter black hole background.

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