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Holographic QCD at finite baryon number density and zero temperature is studied within the five-dimensional Sakai-Sugimoto model. We introduce a new approximation that models a smeared crystal of solitonic baryons by assuming spatial homogeneity to obtain an effective kink theory in the holographic direction. The kink theory correctly reproduces a first order phase transition to lightly bound nuclear matter. As the density is further increased the kink splits into a pair of half-kink constituents, providing a concrete realization of the previously suggested dyonic salt phase, where the bulk soliton splits into constituents at high density. The kink model also captures the phenomenon of baryonic popcorn, in which a first order phase transition generates an additional soliton layer in the holographic direction. We find that this popcorn transition takes place at a density below the dyonic salt phase, making the latter energetically unfavourable. However, the kink model predicts only one pop, rather than the sequence of pops suggested by previous approximations. In the kink model the two layers produced by the single pop form the surface of a soliton bag that increases in size as the baryon chemical potential is increased. The interior of the bag is filled with abelian electric potential and the instanton charge density is localized on the surface of the bag. The soliton bag may provide a holographic description of a quarkyonic phase., 18 pages, 5 figures

We review a study of the semiclassical decay of macroscopic spinning strings in AdS_5 x S^5 as well as its dual gauge theory description. The conservation of the infinite tower of commuting charges in the semiclassical string sigma-model description of the process suggests that the decay channel of maximal probability should preserve integrability in the gauge theory., Comment: 8 pages, 6 figures; Contribution to the proceedings of the 37th International Symposium Ahrenshoop, Berlin, August 23-27, 2004

The gauge theory dual to the decay of an unstable D-particle in AdS is analysed in terms of coherent states. We discuss in detail how to count the number of particles in the decay product. We find, in agreement with the analysis in flat space, that the emission amplitude is suppressed as the mass of the radiated particles increases., Comment: 9 pages, 5 figures; Contribution to the proceedings of Strings '04, Paris. To appear in Comptes rendus - Physique

We derive two families of supergravity solutions describing D-branes in the maximally supersymmetric Hpp-wave background. The first family of solutions corresponds to quarter-BPS D-branes. These solutions are delocalised along certain directions transverse to the pp-wave. The second family corresponds to the non-supersymmetric D-branes. These solutions are fully localised. A peculiar feature of the nonsupersymmetric solutions is that gravity becomes repulsive close to the core of the D-brane. Both families preserve the amount of supersymmetry predicted by the D-brane probe/CFT analysis. All solutions are written in Brinkman coordinates. To construct these kind of solutions it is crucial to identify the coordinates in which the ansatz looks the simplest. We argue that the natural coordinates to get the supergravity description of the half-BPS branes are the Rosen coordinates., 30 pages, 4 figures

We study the effect of a magnetic field on N $$ \mathcal{N} $$ = 2 super-Yang-Mills on S 3 at strong coupling using the gauge/gravity correspondence. As in previous work that dealt with the theory in infinite volume, we find that increasing the magnetic field pushes the system into the confined phase. However, we in addition also find that, within the class of configurations with the same symmetry as those which describe the ground state at vanishing magnetic field, a mass gap appears in the spectrum. This suggests the existence of a new phase with so far unexplored symmetry structure. We provide suggestions for the physical properties of this phase.

We investigate the effect of a magnetic field on the vacuum of low-temperature QCD at large-N_c in the presence of a chiral chemical potential, using the holographic Sakai-Sugimoto model. Above some critical chemical potential we find an instability, which triggers a decay of the homogeneous vacuum to a non-homogeneous configuration with a spiral form, which we construct explicitly. We find that this decay is suppressed for sufficiently large magnetic field, and determine the critical strength. We find that the new vacuum does not exhibit the chiral magnetic effect. This is related to the way the chiral chemical potential is introduced. We discuss an alternative way of introducing the chiral chemical potential that leads to a nonzero chiral magnetic effect., 40 pages; v2: references added, minor typos corrected

We investigate N=2 super-Yang-Mills theory on a three sphere in the presence of an isospin chemical potential at strong coupling using the AdS/CFT correspondence. This system exhibits an instability for sufficiently large values of the chemical potential. In contrast to other related models, the first excitation to condense is not a vector meson but rather a scalar charged under the global SO(4) symmetry group. Furthermore, the spectrum of fluctuations exhibits an interesting cross-over behaviour as a function of the dimensionless temperature. We construct the new ground state of the non-linear theory., Comment: 29 pages

We study the instability of the low-temperature QCD vacuum at large-N_c due to an axial chemical potential, using the holographic Sakai-Sugimoto model. We explicitly construct the ground state of the theory, which corresponds to a translationally non-invariant configuration., Comment: 23 pages, 12 figures; v2: references added

We explore a class of holographic superconductors built using non-abelian condensates on probe branes in conformal and non-conformal backgrounds. These are shown to exhibit behaviour of the specific heat which resembles that of heavy fermion compounds in the superconducting phase. Instead of showing BCS-like exponential behaviour, the specific heat is polynomial in the temperature. It exhibits a jump at the critical temperature, in agreement with real-world superconductors. We also analyse the behaviour of the energy gap and the AC and DC conductivities, and find that the systems can be either semi-conducting or metallic just above the critical temperature., 24 pages, many figures

We analyse the effect of velocity and acceleration on the temperature felt by particles and strings in backgrounds relevant in holographic models. First, we compare accelerated strings and strings at finite temperature. We find that for fixed Unruh temperature felt by the string endpoints, the screening length is smaller for the accelerated Wilson loop than for the static one in a thermal background of the same temperature; hence acceleration provides a "more efficient" mechanism for melting of mesons. Secondly, we show that the velocity-dependence of the screening length of the colour force, previously obtained from a moving Wilson loop in a finite temperature background, is not specific for the string, but is a consequence of the generic fact that an observer which moves with constant velocity in a black hole background measures a velocity-dependent temperature. Finally, we analyse accelerated particles and strings in the AdS black hole background, and show that these feel a temperature which increases as a function of time. As a byproduct of our analysis we find a global Minkowski embedding for the planar AdS black hole., Comment: 27 pages, 9 figures; v2: references added; v3: various points clarified, published version

In holographic models of gauge theories with matter, there generically exists a first order phase transition in which mesons dissociate. We perform a careful analysis of the meson and quasi-particle spectra in the overheated resp. undercooled regimes close to the junction of the two phases. We show that all overheated finite meson masses eventually become infinitely degenerate, which implies that any connection to the quasi-particle spectrum is more subtle than previously suggested. For the Sakai-Sugimoto model no smooth connection between these spectra is possible., Comment: 23 pages, 21 figures

We analyze the effect of an isospin chemical potential \mu_I in the Sakai-Sugimoto model, which is the string dual of a confining gauge theory related to large N_c QCD, at temperatures below the chiral symmetry restoration temperature. For small chemical potentials we show that the results agree with expectations from the low-energy chiral Lagrangian, and the charged pion condenses. When the chemical potential reaches a critical value \mu_I = \mu_{crit} ~ 1.7 m_{\rho}, the lowest vector meson (the "rho meson") becomes massless, and it condenses (in addition to the pion condensate) for \mu_I > \mu_{crit}. This spontaneously breaks the rotational symmetry, as well as a residual U(1) flavor symmetry. We numerically construct the resulting new ground state for \mu_I > \mu_{crit}., Comment: 33 pages, 7 figures; v2: references added, minor corrections; v3: added footnote about other possible condensate

We discuss the Zamolodchikov-Faddeev algebra for the superstring sigma-model on AdS_5 x S^5. We find the canonical su(2|2)^2 invariant S-matrix satisfying the standard Yang-Baxter and crossing symmetry equations. Its near-plane-wave expansion matches exactly the leading order term recently obtained by the direct perturbative computation. We also show that the S-matrix obtained by Beisert in the gauge theory framework does not satisfy the standard Yang-Baxter equation, and, as a consequence, the corresponding ZF algebra is twisted. The S-matrices in gauge and string theories however are physically equivalent and related by a non-local transformation of the basis states which is explicitly constructed., 40 pages, v2: derivation of symmetries from the S-matrix and the Hopf algebra interpretation added, typos corrected, references added

Ideas about a duality between gauge fields and strings have been around for many decades. During the last ten years, these ideas have taken a much more concrete mathematical form. String descriptions of the strongly coupled dynamics of semi-realistic gauge theories, exhibiting confinement and chiral symmetry breaking, are now available. These provide remarkably simple ways to compute properties of the strongly coupled quark-gluon fluid phase, and also shed new light on various phenomenological models of hadron fragmentation. We present a review and highlight some exciting recent developments., Comment: Lectures presented by KP at the 45th Winter School on Theoretical Physics, February 2007, Schladming, Austria; v3: minor corrections, typos fixed, references added

We show that mesons, described using rotating relativistic strings in a holographic setup, undergo dissociation when their acceleration 'a' exceeds a value which scales with the angular momentum 'J' as a_max ~ \sqrt{T_s/J}, where 'T_s' is the string tension., Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures

We compare solutions of the quantum string Bethe equations with explicit one-loop calculations in the sigma-model on AdS(5)xS(5). The Bethe ansatz exactly reproduces the spectrum of infinitely long strings. When the length is finite, we find that deviations from the exact answer arise which are exponentially small in the string length., 13 pages, 1 figure; v4: typo in A.2 corrected

We analyze the psu(2,2|4) supersymmetry algebra of a superstring propagating in the AdS_5 x S^5 background in the uniform light-cone gauge. We consider the off-shell theory by relaxing the level-matching condition and take the limit of infinite light-cone momentum, which decompactifies the string world-sheet. We focus on the psu(2|2)+psu(2|2) subalgebra which leaves the light-cone Hamiltonian invariant and show that it undergoes extension by a central element which is expressed in terms of the level-matching operator. This result is in agreement with the conjectured symmetry algebra of the dynamic S-matrix in the dual N=4 gauge theory., 30 pages, one figure

In order to analyze finite-size effects for the gauge-fixed string sigma model on AdS_5 x S^5, we construct one-soliton solutions carrying finite angular momentum J. In the infinite J limit the solutions reduce to the recently constructed one-magnon configuration of Hofman and Maldacena. The solutions do not satisfy the level-matching condition and hence exhibit a dependence on the gauge choice, which however disappears as the size J is taken to infinity. Interestingly, the solutions do not conserve all the global charges of the psu(2,2|4) algebra of the sigma model, implying that the symmetry algebra of the gauge-fixed string sigma model is different from psu(2,2|4) for finite J, once one gives up the level-matching condition. The magnon dispersion relation exhibits exponential corrections with respect to the infinite J solution. We also find a generalisation of our one-magnon configuration to a solution carrying two charges on the sphere. We comment on the possible implications of our findings for the existence of the Bethe ansatz describing the spectrum of strings carrying finite charges., 42 pages, many figures, movies are available at http://www.aei.mpg.de/~peekas/magnons/ ; v2: Additional comments included and references added

The one-loop worldsheet corrections to spinning strings in the sl(2) subsector of AdS5 × S5 are compared to the quantum string Bethe ansatz. The evaluation of the energy shift is performed in two regimes: a) in the large limit, using zeta-function regularization and b) in the limit of large winding number. The first computation agrees with the Bethe ansatz in the first three orders while the second computation leads to a disagreement with the string Bethe ansatz prediction at leading order. Careful analysis of the zeta-function regularization shows, that in this approach perturbative as well as non-perturbative terms in the string sums are missed. Hence, this together with the result b), implies that the proposed quantum string Bethe equations do not reproduce all terms in the exact string result.

We use the uniform light-cone gauge to derive an exact gauge-fixed Lagrangian and light-cone Hamiltonian for the Green-Schwarz superstring in AdS5xS5. We then quantize the theory perturbatively in the near plane-wave limit, and compute the leading 1/J correction to a generic string state from the rank-1 subsectors. These investigations enable us to propose a new set of light-cone Bethe equations for the quantum string. The equations have a simple form and yield the correct spinning string and flat space limits. Finally, we clarify the notion of closed sectors in string theory by proving the existence of perturbative effective string Hamiltonians which are direct analogues of (all loop) dilatation operators in the dual N=4 gauge theory., Comment: 59 pages, no figures. v2: typos fixed. v3: more typos fixed, published version

We analyse mesons at finite temperature in a chiral, confining string dual. The temperature dependence of low-spin as well as high-spin meson masses is shown to exhibit a pattern familiar from the lattice. Furthermore, we find the dissociation temperature of mesons as a function of their spin, showing that at a fixed quark mass, mesons with larger spins dissociate at lower temperatures. The Goldstone bosons associated with chiral symmetry breaking are shown to disappear above the chiral symmetry restoration temperature. Finally, we show that holographic consideration imply that large-spin mesons do not experience drag effects when moving through the quark gluon plasma. They do, however, have a maximum velocity for fixed spin, beyond which they dissociate., Comment: 25 pages, 23 figures; v2: emphasised dependence of interquark distance on velocity, added plot, added references; v3: error in section V corrected, conclusions unchanged

We analyze the effects of zeta-function regularization on the evaluation of quantum corrections to spinning strings. Previously, this method was applied in the sl(2) subsector and yielded agreement to third order in perturbation theory with the quantum string Bethe ansatz. In this note we discuss related sums and compare zeta-function regularization against exact evaluation of the sums, thereby showing that the zeta-function regularized expression misses out perturbative as well as non-perturbative terms. In particular, this may imply corrections to the proposed quantum string Bethe equations. This also explains the previously observed discrepancy between the semi-classical string and the quantum string Bethe ansatz in the regime of large winding number., 20 pages; v2: refs and section on exponential corrections added

Unstable D-particles in type-IIB string theory correspond to sphaleron solutions in the dual gauge theory. We construct an explicit time-dependent solution for the sphaleron decay on S^3 x R, as well as the coherent state corresponding to the decay product. We develop a method to count the number of bulk particles in the AdS/CFT setup. When applied to our coherent state, the naive number operator O^\dagger O is shown to be inappropriate, even in the large-N limit. The reason is that the final state consists of a large number of particles. By computing all probabilities for finding multi-particle states in the coherent state, we deduce the bulk particle content of the final state of the sphaleron decay. The qualitative features of this spectrum are compared with the results expected from the gravity side, and agreement is found., 17 pages, 5 figures; v2: minor additions to the text, typos fixed, references added, version to appear in Phys. Rev. D

We analyze quantum corrections to rigid spinning strings in AdS(5)xS(5). The one-loop worldsheet quantum correction to the string energy is compared to the finite-size correction from the quantum string Bethe ansatz. Expanding the summands of the string theory energy shift in the parameter \lambda/J^2 and subsequently resumming them yields a divergent result. However, upon zeta-function regularization this result agrees with the Bethe ansatz at the first three orders. We also perform an analogous computation in the limit of large winding number, which results in a disagreement with the string Bethe ansatz prediction. A similar mismatch is observed numerically. We comment on the possible origin of this discrepancy., Comment: 33 pages, 9 figures

We review recent studies of branes in AdS x S and pp-wave spaces using effective action methods (probe branes and supergravity). We also summarise results on an algebraic study of D-branes in these spaces, using extensions of the superisometry algebras which include brane charges., 11 pages, to appear in the proceedings of the Balkan Workshop 2003, Vrnjacka Banja, Serbia

We study the decay process of large-spin mesons in the context of the gauge/string duality, using generic properties of confining backgrounds and systems with flavour branes. In the string picture, meson decay corresponds to the quantum-mechanical process in which a string rotating on the IR "wall" fluctuates, touches a flavour brane and splits into two smaller strings. This process automatically encodes flavour conservation as well as the Zweig rule. We show that the decay width computed in the string picture is in remarkable agreement with the decay width obtained using the phenomenological Lund model., Comment: 40 pages, 16 figures; v2: some clarifications added, typos corrected; v3: references added

We review aspects of loop quantum gravity in a pedagogical manner, with the aim of enabling a precise but critical assessment of its achievements so far. We emphasise that the off-shell (`strong') closure of the constraint algebra is a crucial test of quantum space-time covariance, and thereby of the consistency, of the theory. Special attention is paid to the appearance of a large number of ambiguities, in particular in the formulation of the Hamiltonian constraint. Developing suitable approximation methods to establish a connection with classical gravity on the one hand, and with the physics of elementary particles on the other, remains a major challenge., Comment: 57 pages, 11 figures; v2: substantially revised, references added, resubmitted to Class. Quant. Grav.; v3: further substantial improvements; v4: small changes, final version to appear in Class. Quant. Grav

We study the semiclassical decay of macroscopic spinning strings in AdS_5 x S^5 through spontaneous splitting of the folded string worldsheet. Based on similar considerations in flat space this decay channel is expected to dominate the full quantum computation. The outgoing strings are uniquely specified by an infinite set of conserved (local) charges with a regular expansion in inverse powers of the initial angular momentum. We compute these charges and determine functional relations between them. Finally, a preliminary discussion of the corresponding calculation in the non-planar sector of the dual gauge theory is presented., Comment: 22 pages, 5 figures; v2: typo corrected

We study classes of D-branes embedded in various AdS^m x S^n x S^p x T^q backgrounds, which nontrivially mix the target-space submanifolds. Mixing is achieved either via diagonal geometric embedding or through a mixed worldvolume flux which has one index in the sphere and one index in the AdS part. Branes of the former type wrap calibrated cycles in the target space, while those of the latter type wrap non-supersymmetric target space cycles which are stabilised only after the mixed worldvolume flux is turned on. In the second part of the paper we study two qualitatively different Penrose limits of these diagonal branes. In the first case we look at geodesics which do not belong to the worldvolume of brane. In order to get a nontrivial result, one needs to bring the brane closer and closer to the geodesic while taking the limit. The result is a D-brane with a worldvolume relativistic pulse. In the second case the Penrose geodesic belongs to the worldvolume and the resulting brane is of the ``oblique'' type: it is diagonally embedded between different SO groups of the target space pp-wave., 28 pages; v2: added reference and minor corrections

We use the permutation symmetry between the product of several group manifolds in combination with orbifolds and T-duality to construct new classes of symmetry breaking branes on products of group manifolds. The resulting branes mix the submanifolds and break part of the diagonal chiral algebra of the theory. We perform a Langrangian analysis as well as a boundary CFT construction of these branes and find agreement between the two methods., Comment: 36 pages; v2: references added, appendix extended, typos corrected, to appear in Nucl. Phys

We argue that a modification of the super-AdS algebras which accounts for the presence of D-branes requires not only the inclusion of bosonic brane charges, but also the inclusion of new fermionic ones. We show that such fermionic brane charges are indeed present in the matrix model and the supermembrane in the pp-wave limit of the corresponding backgrounds. We briefly comment on an AdS version of Sezgin's M-algebra inspired by this observation., Comment: 10 pages

We derive boundary conditions for the covariant open string corresponding to D-branes in an Hpp-wave, by requiring kappa symmetry of its bulk action. Both half-supersymmetric and quarter-supersymmetric branes are seen to arise in this way, and the analysis furthermore agrees fully with the existing probe brane and supergravity computations. We elaborate on the origin of dynamical and kinematical supersymmetries from the covariant point of view. In particular we focus on the D-string which only preserves half of the dynamical supersymmetries and none of the kinematical ones. We discuss its origin in AdS_5 x S^5 and its world-volume spectrum., Comment: 20+1 pages, typos corrected, reference added

We obtain ADM and Komar surface integrals for the energy density, tension and angular momentum density of stationary $p$-brane solutions of Einstein's equations. We use them to derive a Smarr-type formula for the energy density and thence a first law of black brane mechanics. The intensive variable conjugate to the worldspace p-volume is an `effective' tension that equals the ADM tension for uncharged branes, but vanishes for isotropic boost-invariant charged branes., Comment: 20 pp, minor revision plus extra reference

The static Yang-Mills-Higgs dyonic instanton is shown to have a non-vanishing, but anti-self-dual, angular momentum 2-form with skew eigenvalues equal to the electric charge; for large charge the angular momentum causes the instanton to expand into a hyper-spherical shell. A class of exact multi dyonic instantons is then found and then generalized to a new class of 1/4 supersymmetric, non-singular, stationary, exact solutions of the ten-dimensional supergravity/Yang-Mills theory. These self-gravitating dyonic instantons yield new heterotic string solitons, to leading order in the inverse string tension., Comment: 18 pages, LaTeX, no figures. Previous revision was to include exact multi-solitons. Third version corrects typos and ADM energy formula

It is shown that the worldvolume field theory of a single D3-brane in a supergravity D3-brane background admits finite energy, and non-singular, abelian monopoles and dyons preserving 1/2 or 1/4 of the ${\cal N}=4$ supersymmetry and saturating a Bogomol'nyi-type bound. The 1/4 supersymmetric solitons provide a worldvolume realisation of string-junction dyons. We also discuss the dual M-theory realisation of the 1/2 supersymmetric dyons as finite tension self-dual strings on the M5-brane, and of the 1/4 supersymmetric dyons as their intersections., Comment: 12 pp. Revtex. Two figs., Minor corrections now included

We find an explicit relation between the two known ways of generating an infinite set of local conserved charges for the string sigma model on AdS_5 x S^5: the Backlund and monodromy approaches. We start by constructing the two-parameter family of Backlund transformations for the string with an arbitrary world-sheet metric. We then show that only for a special value of one of the parameters the solutions generated by this transformation are compatible with the Virasoro constraints. By solving the Backlund equations in a non-perturbative fashion, we finally show that the generating functional of the Backlund conservation laws is equal to a certain sum of the quasi-momenta. The positions of the quasi-momenta in the complex spectral plane are uniquely determined by the real parameter of the Backlund transform., Comment: 25 pages, 1 figure

In the limit of small velocities, the dynamics of half-BPS Yang-Mills-Higgs solitons can be described by the geodesic approximation. Recently, it has been shown that quarter-BPS states require the addition of a potential term to this approximation. We explain the logic behind this modification for a larger class of models and then analyse in detail the dynamics of two five-dimensional dyonic instantons, using both analytical and numerical techniques. Nonzero-modes are shown to play a crucial role in the analysis of these systems, and we explain how these modes lead to qualitatively new types of dynamics., Comment: 23 pages, 9 figures; v2: minor changes, reference added