arXiv subjects

T. Harmark

Publications and source records attributed to T. Harmark.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2021

Force-free magnetosphere attractors for near-horizon extreme and near-extreme limits of Kerr black hole

We propose a new approach to find magnetically-dominated force-free magnetospheres around highly spinning black holes, relevant for models of astrophysical jets. Employing the near-horizon extreme Kerr (NHEK) limit of the Kerr black hole, any stationary, axisymmetric and regular force-free magnetosphere reduces to the same attractor solution in the NHEK limit with null electromagnetic field strength. We use this attractor solution as the universal starting point for perturbing away from the NHEK region in the extreme Kerr spacetime. We demonstrate that by going to second order in perturbation theory, it is possible to find magnetically dominated magnetospheres around the extreme Kerr black hole. Furthermore, we consider the near-horizon near-extreme Kerr (near-NHEK) limit that provides access to a different regime of highly spinning black holes. Also in this case we find a novel force-free attractor, which can be used as the universal starting point for a perturbative construction of force-free magnetospheres. Finally, we discuss the relation between the NHEK and near-NHEK attractors.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2020

Moving away from the Near-Horizon Attractor of the Extreme Kerr Force-Free Magnetosphere

We consider force-free magnetospheres around the extreme Kerr black hole. In this case there is no known exact analytic solution to force free electrodynamics which is stationary, axisymmetric and magnetically-dominated. However, any stationary, axisymmetric and regular force-free magnetosphere in extreme Kerr black hole approaches the same attractor solution in the near-horizon extreme Kerr (NHEK) limit with null electromagnetic field. We show that by moving away from the attractor solution in the NHEK region, one finds magnetically-dominated solutions in the extreme Kerr black hole with finite angular momentum outflow. This result is achieved using a perturbative analysis up to the second order.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2005

Thermodynamics of the Near-Extremal NS5-brane

We consider the thermodynamics of the near-extremal NS5-brane in type IIA string theory. The central tool we use is to map phases of six-dimensional Kaluza-Klein black holes to phases of near-extremal M5-branes with a transverse circle in eleven-dimensional supergravity. By S-duality these phases correspond to phases of the near-extremal type IIA NS5-brane. One of our main results is that in the canonical ensemble the usual near-extremal NS5-brane background, dual to a uniformly smeared near-extremal M5-brane, is subdominant to a new background of near-extremal M5-branes localized on the transverse circle. This new stable phase has a limiting temperature, which lies above the Hagedorn temperature of the usual NS5-brane phase. We discuss the limiting temperature and compare the different behavior of the NS5-brane in the canonical and microcanonical ensembles. We also briefly comment on the thermodynamics of near-extremal Dp-branes on a transverse circle.

hep-th↗

arXiv2005

Instabilities of Near-Extremal Smeared Branes and the Correlated Stability Conjecture

We consider the classical and local thermodynamic stability of non- and near-extremal Dp-branes smeared on a transverse direction. These two types of stability are connected through the correlated stability conjecture for which we give a proof in this specific class of branes. The proof is analogous to that of Reall for unsmeared branes, and includes the construction of an appropriate two-parameter off-shell family of smeared Dp-brane backgrounds. We use the boost/U-duality map from neutral black strings to smeared black branes to explicitly demonstrate that non-and near-extremal smeared branes are classically unstable, confirming the validity of the conjecture. For near-extremal smeared branes in particular, we show that a natural definition of the grand canonical ensemble exists in which these branes are thermodynamically unstable, in accord with the conjecture. Moreover, we examine the connection between the unstable Gregory-Laflamme mode of charged branes and the marginal modes of extremal branes. Some features of T-duality and implications for the finite temperature dual gauge theories are also discussed.

hep-th↗

arXiv2005

Phases of Kaluza-Klein Black Holes: A Brief Review

We review the latest progress in understanding the phase structure of static and neutral Kaluza-Klein black holes, i.e. static and neutral solutions of pure gravity with an event horizon that asymptote to a d-dimensional Minkowski-space times a circle. We start by reviewing the (mu,n) phase diagram and the split-up of the phase structure into solutions with an internal SO(d-1) symmetry and solutions with Kaluza-Klein bubbles. We then discuss the uniform black string, non-uniform black string and localized black hole phases, and how those three phases are connected, involving issues such as classical instability and horizon-topology changing transitions. Finally, we review the bubble-black hole sequences, their place in the phase structure and interesting aspects such as the continuously infinite non-uniqueness of solutions for a given mass and relative tension.

hep-th↗

arXiv2005

New Phases of Thermal SYM and LST from Kaluza-Klein Black Holes

We review the recently found map that takes any static and neutral Kaluza-Klein black hole, i.e. any static and neutral black hole on Minkowski-space times a circle M^d x S^1, and maps it to a corresponding solution for a non- and near-extremal brane on a circle. This gives a precise connection between phases of Kaluza-Klein black holes and the thermodynamic behavior of the non-gravitational theories dual to near-extremal branes on a circle. In particular, for the thermodynamics of strongly-coupled supersymmetric Yang-Mills theories on a circle we predict the existence of a new non-uniform phase and find new information about the localized phase. We also find evidence for the existence of a new stable phase of (2,0) Little String Theory in the canonical ensemble for temperatures above its Hagedorn temperature.

hep-th↗

arXiv2005

Sequences of Bubbles and Holes: New Phases of Kaluza-Klein Black Holes

We construct and analyze a large class of exact five- and six-dimensional regular and static solutions of the vacuum Einstein equations. These solutions describe sequences of Kaluza-Klein bubbles and black holes, placed alternately so that the black holes are held apart by the bubbles. Asymptotically the solutions are Minkowski-space times a circle, i.e. Kaluza-Klein space, so they are part of the (μ,n) phase diagram introduced in hep-th/0309116. In particular, they occupy a hitherto unexplored region of the phase diagram, since their relative tension exceeds that of the uniform black string. The solutions contain bubbles and black holes of various topologies, including six-dimensional black holes with ring topology S^3 x S^1 and tuboid topology S^2 x S^1 x S^1. The bubbles support the S^1's of the horizons against gravitational collapse. We find two maps between solutions, one that relates five- and six-dimensional solutions, and another that relates solutions in the same dimension by interchanging bubbles and black holes. To illustrate the richness of the phase structure and the non-uniqueness in the (μ,n) phase diagram, we consider in detail particular examples of the general class of solutions.

hep-th↗

arXiv2005

New Phases of Near-Extremal Branes on a Circle

We study the phases of near-extremal branes on a circle, by which we mean near-extremal branes of string theory and M-theory with a circle in their transverse space. We find a map that takes any static and neutral Kaluza-Klein black hole, i.e. any static and neutral black hole on Minkowski-space times a circle M^d x S^1, and map it to a corresponding solution for a near-extremal brane on a circle. The map is derived using first a combined boost and U-duality transformation on the Kaluza-Klein black hole, transforming it to a solution for a non-extremal brane on a circle. The resulting solution for a near-extremal brane on a circle is then obtained by taking a certain near-extremal limit. As a consequence of the map, we can transform the neutral non-uniform black string branch into a new non-uniform phase of near-extremal branes on a circle. Furthermore, we use recently obtained analytical results on small black holes in Minkowski-space times a circle to get new information about the localized phase of near-extremal branes on a circle. This gives in turn predictions for the thermal behavior of the non-gravitational theories dual to these near-extremal branes. In particular, we give predictions for the thermodynamics of supersymmetric Yang-Mills theories on a circle, and we find a new stable phase of (2,0) Little String Theory in the canonical ensemble for temperatures above its Hagedorn temperature.

hep-th↗

arXiv2004

General Definition of Gravitational Tension

In this note we give a general definition of the gravitational tension in a given asymptotically translationally-invariant spatial direction of a space-time. The tension is defined via the extrinsic curvature in analogy with the Hawking-Horowitz definition of energy. We show the consistency with the ADM tension formulas for asymptotically-flat space-times, in particular for Kaluza-Klein black hole solutions. Moreover, we apply the general tension formula to near-extremal branes, constituting a check for non-asymptotically flat space-times.

hep-th↗

arXiv2004

Phase Structure of Black Holes and Strings on Cylinders

We use the (M,n) phase diagram recently introduced in hep-th/0309116 to investigate the phase structure of black holes and strings on cylinders. We first prove that any static neutral black object on a cylinder can be put into an ansatz for the metric originally proposed in hep-th/0204047, generalizing a result of Wiseman. Using the ansatz, we then show that all branches of solutions obey the first law of thermodynamics and that any solution has an infinite number of copies. The consequences of these two results are analyzed. Based on the new insights and the known branches of solutions, we finally present an extensive discussion of the possible scenarios for the Gregory-Laflamme instability and the black hole/string transition.

hep-th↗

arXiv2003

New Phase Diagram for Black Holes and Strings on Cylinders

We introduce a novel type of phase diagram for black holes and black strings on cylinders. The phase diagram involves a new asymptotic quantity called the relative binding energy. We plot the uniform string and the non-uniform string solutions in this new phase diagram using data of Wiseman. Intersection rules for branches of solutions in the phase diagram are deduced from a new Smarr formula that we derive.

hep-th↗

arXiv2003

Black Holes and Black Strings on Cylinders

We review the recently discovered ansatz that describes non-extremal charged dilatonic branes of string/M-theory with a transverse circle. The ansatz involves a new coordinate system that interpolates between the spherical and cylindrical case, and reduces the equations of motion to a set of equations on one unknown function of two variables. The function is independent of the charge, so that the ansatz can also be used to construct neutral black holes on cylinders and near-extremal charged dilatonic branes with a transverse circle. The construction enables us to argue that, for sufficiently large mass, there exists a neutral solution that breaks translational invariance in the circle direction, and has larger entropy than that of the neutral black string of the same mass.

hep-th↗

arXiv2002

Gauge theory description of compactified pp-waves

We find a new Penrose limit of AdS_5*S^5 that gives the maximally symmetric pp-wave background of type IIB string theory in a coordinate system that has a manifest space-like isometry. This induces a new pp-wave/gauge-theory duality which on the gauge theory side involves a novel scaling limit of N=4 SYM theory. The new Penrose limit, when applied to AdS_5*S^5/Z_M, yields a pp-wave with a space-like circle. The dual gauge theory description involves a triple scaling limit of an N=2 quiver gauge theory. We present in detail the map between gauge theory operators and string theory states including winding states, and verify agreement between the energy eigenvalues obtained from string theory and those computed in gauge theory, at least to one-loop order in the planar limit. We furthermore consider other related new Penrose limits and explain how these limits can be understood as part of a more general framework.

hep-th↗

arXiv2002

Non-extremal fractional branes

We construct non-extremal fractional D-brane solutions of type-II string theory at the Z_2 orbifold point of K3. These solutions generalize known extremal fractional-brane solutions and provide further insights into N=2 supersymmetric gauge theories and dual descriptions thereof. In particular, we find that for these solutions the horizon radius cannot exceed the non-extremal enhancon radius. As a consequence, we conclude that a system of non-extremal fractional branes cannot develop into a black brane. This conclusion is in agreement with known dual descriptions of the system.

hep-th↗

arXiv2000

Hagedorn Behavior of Little String Theories

We examine the Hagedorn behavior of little string theory using its conjectured duality with near-horizon NS5-branes. In particular, by studying the string-corrected NS5-brane supergravity solution, it is shown that tree-level corrections to the temperature vanish, while the leading one-loop string correction generates the correct temperature dependence of the entropy near the Hagedorn temperature. Finally, the Hagedorn behavior of ODp-brane theories, which are deformed versions of little string theory, is considered via their supergravity duals.

hep-th↗

arXiv2000

Hagedorn Behaviour of Little String Theory from String Corrections to NS5-Branes

Following the conjectured duality between near-horizon NS5-branes and little string theory, the string-corrected thermodynamics of near-horizon NS5-branes is studied and found to agree with the statistical thermodynamics of a 5+1 dimensional supersymmetric string theory near the Hagedorn temperature. Specifically, tree-level corrections to the temperature are argued to vanish, in accordance with the duality, while the one-loop string correction to the NS5-brane thermodynamics is shown to generate the correct temperature dependence of the entropy.

hep-th↗

arXiv2000

Phase Structure of Non-Commutative Field Theories and Spinning Brane Bound States

General spinning brane bound states are constructed, along with their near-horizon limits which are relevant as dual descriptions of non-commutative field theories. For the spinning D-brane world volume theories with a B-field a general analysis of the gauge coupling phase structure is given, exhibiting various novel features, already at the level of zero angular momenta. We show that the thermodynamics is equivalent to the commutative case at large N and we discuss the possibility and consequences of finite N. As an application of the general analysis, the range of validity of the thermodynamics for the NCSYM is discussed. In view of the recently conjectured existence of a 7-dimensional NCSYM, the thermodynamics of the spinning D6-brane theory, for which a stable region can be found, is presented in detail. Corresponding results for the spinning M5-M2 brane bound state, including the near-horizon limit and thermodynamics, are given as well.

hep-th↗

arXiv2000

Thermodynamics of Field Theories from Spinning Branes

We discuss general spinning p-branes of string and M-theory and use their thermodynamics along with the correspondence between near-horizon brane solutions and field theories with 16 supercharges to describe the thermodynamic behavior of these theories in the presence of voltages under the R-symmetry. The thermodynamics is used to provide two pieces of evidence in favor of a smooth interpolation function between the free energy at weak and strong coupling of the field theory. (i) A computation of the boundaries of stability shows that for the D2, D3, D4, M2 and M5-branes the critical values of Omega/T in the two limits are remarkably close and (ii) The tree-level R^4 corrections to the spinning D3-brane generate a decrease in the free energy at strong coupling towards the weak coupling result. We also comment on the generalization to spinning brane bound states and their thermodynamics, which are relevant for non-commutative field theories.

hep-th↗