Strings in AdS$_3$: one-loop partition function and near-extremal BTZ thermodynamics
Abstract
We revisit the computation of the string partition function in AdS focussing on the appearance of spacetime (super) symmetries. We show how the asymptotic symmetries of the AdS spacetime, which generate the boundary (super) Virasoro currents, are captured by the one-loop partition sum. We use this to argue that the recent understanding of near-extremal black hole thermodynamics based on the gravitational path integral continues to hold for finite string length. Along the way we clarify some aspects of the AdS/CFT duality and, in particular, deduce which bulk gauge fields lead to boundary currents. We also explain how one can interpolate between supersymmetric and thermal (Atick-Witten) fermion boundary conditions in the target space by suitably tuning rotational chemical potentials in the string partition function.
Cite
@article{arxiv.2408.14567,
title = {Strings in AdS$_3$: one-loop partition function and near-extremal BTZ thermodynamics},
author = {Christian Ferko and Sameer Murthy and Mukund Rangamani},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2408.14567},
year = {2025}
}
Comments
v2: typos fixed and improved discussion of near-extremal black holes. v3: minor changes, published version