Related papers: Shocks, Superconvergence, and a Stringy Equivalenc…
For any unitary conformal field theory in two dimensions with the central charge $c$, we prove that, if there is a nontrivial primary operator whose conformal dimension $\Delta$ vanishes in some limit on the conformal manifold, the…
This pedagogical review addresses several issues related to statistical description of gravitating systems in both static and expanding backgrounds, focusing on the latter. After briefly reviewing the results for the static background, I…
The principle of equivalence postulating that an acceleration is indistinguishable from gravity by any experiment, is valid within families of particles having the same passive gravitational to inertial mass ratio $m_p/m_i$. Presently…
The idea that the existence of a consistent UV completion satisfying the fundamental axioms of local quantum field theory or string theory may impose positivity constraints on the couplings of the leading irrelevant operators in a…
We study a `dressed' or `composite' quark in strongly-coupled N=4 super-Yang-Mills (SYM), making use of the AdS/CFT correspondence. We show that the standard string dynamics nicely captures the physics of the quark and its surrounding…
Evanescent operators such as the Gauss-Bonnet term have vanishing perturbative matrix elements in exactly D=4 dimensions. Similarly, evanescent fields do not propagate in D=4; a three-form field is in this class, since it is dual to a…
We propose a scenario with string theory in the deep ultraviolet, an intermediate asymptotically safe scaling regime for gravity and matter, and the Standard Model in the infrared. This could provide a new perspective to tackle challenges…
In this work we investigate the most general non-minimally coupled $\mathbb{Z}_2$ symmetric scalar-tensor effective field theory (EFT) of gravity up to dimension six in the operator expansion. The most general action is presented along with…
We generalize earlier solutions of gravitational shocks sourced by distributional null stress-energy and analyze their observable effects. A systematic method is proposed to demonstrate consistency between the gravitational effects of a…
If gravitons are super-strong interacting particles which fulfill a flat non-expanding universe, we would have another possibility to explain cosmological redshifts - in a frame of non-kinematic model. It is shown by the author that in this…
We discuss the possible existence of new long-range forces mediated by spin-1 or spin-0 particles. They would add their effects to those of gravity, and could lead to apparent violations of the Equivalence Principle. Informations on the…
A semi-relativistic density-functional theory that includes spin-orbit couplings and Zeeman fields on equal footing with the electromagnetic potentials, is an appealing framework to develop a unified first-principles computational approach…
We examine the achronal averaged null energy condition~(ANEC) for a class of conformal field theories~(CFT) at strong coupling in curved spacetime. By applying the AdS/CFT duality, we find holographic models which violate the achronal ANEC…
String theory avoids the ultraviolet infinities that arise in trying to quantize gravity. It is also more predictive than conventional quantum field theory, one aspect of this being the way that it contributed to the emergence of the…
We derive model independent, non-perturbative supersymmetric sum rules for the gravitational quadrupole moments of arbitrary-spin particles in any N=1 supersymmetric theory. These sum rules select a ``preferred'' value of h=1 where the…
Conformal field theory (CFT) has been extremely successful in describing large-scale universal effects in one-dimensional (1D) systems at quantum critical points. Unfortunately, its applicability in condensed matter physics has been limited…
We study interference effects in the dynamics of a spin-$1/2$ particle propagating in two dimensions in a disordered potential and subject to a generalized spin-orbit coupling. With the particle initially in a spin-polarized plane wave…
Coherent transport of an excitation through a network corresponds to continuous-time quantum walk on a graph, and the transport properties of the system may be radically different depending on the graph and on the initial state. The…
The Weak Gravity Conjecture (WGC) in anti-de Sitter spacetime (AdS) asserts the existence of an operator in the boundary conformal field theory (CFT) whose scaling dimension-to-charge ratio satisfies a certain upper bound. This bound is…
We investigate the relativistic effective field theory (EFT) describing a non-dissipative gravitating continuum. In addition to ordinary continua, namely solids and fluids, we find an extraordinary more symmetric continuum, aether. In…