The AdS/CFT correspondence in principle gives a new approach to deep inelastic scattering as formulated by Polchinski and Strassler. Subsequently Brower, Polchinski, Strassler and Tan (BPST) computed the strong coupling kernel for the vacuum (or Pomeron) contribution to total cross sections. By identifying deep inelastic scattering with virtual photon total cross section, this allows a self consistent description at small-$x$ where the dominant contribution is the vacuum exchange process. Here we formulate this contribution and compare it with HERA small-$x$ DIS scattering data. We find that the BPST kernel along with a very simple local approximation to the proton and current "wave functions" gives a remarkably good fit not only at large $Q^2$ dominated by conformal symmetry but also extends to small $Q^2$, supplemented by a hard-wall cut-off of the AdS in the IR. We suggest that this is a useful phenomenological parametrization with implications for other diffractive processes, such as double diffractive Higgs production.
We study deep inelastic scattering at large-'t Hooft coupling and finite $x$ from gauge/string duality beyond single-hadron final states which gives the leading large-$N_c$ contribution. Within the supergravity approximation, we calculate the subleading large-$N_c$ contribution by introducing an extra hadron into the final states. We find the contribution from these double-hadron final states will dominate in the Bjorken limit $q^2\rightarrow \infty$ compared with the single-hadron states. We discuss the implications of our results.
Deep inelastic structure functions have been calculated by Polchinski and Strassler in gauge/string duality introducing a hard infrared (IR) cut off in AdS space. Here we investigate this problem using a soft IR cut off that leads to linear Regge trajectories for mesons. We calculate the structure functions for scalar particles in the large x regime where supergravity approximation holds and the small x regime where massive string states contribute. We also propose a hybrid model to calculate structure functions for fermions in the supergravity approximation. In the deep inelastic limit our re…
We calculate deep inelastic structure functions for mesons in the D3-D7 brane model, that incorporates flavour to the AdS/CFT correspondence. We consider two different prescriptions for the hadronic current dual: a gauge field in the AdS bulk and a gauge field on the D7 brane. We also calculate elastic form factors in both cases. We compare our results with other holographic models.
We investigate deep inelastic scattering off the polarized "neutron" using gauge/string duality. The "neutron" corresponds to a supergravity mode of the neutral dilatino. Through introducing the Pauli interaction term into the action in $\textrm{AdS}_{5}$ space, we calculate the polarized deep inelastic structure functions of the "neutron" in supergravity approximation at large t' Hooft coupling $λ$ and finite $x$ with $λ^{-1/2}\ll x<1$. In comparison with the charged dilatino "proton," which has been obtained in the previous work by Gao and Xiao, we find the structure functions of the "neutro…
In this work we use the string/gauge duality within the Softwall Model (SW). In this model a dilaton field is introduced in the action for the fields playing the role of a soft infrared (IR) cutoff. The SW model is very useful as it provides linear Regge trajectories for mesons. Here, using a $10-$dimensional SW model, we calculate the corresponding structure functions for deep inelastic scattering (DIS) in which electrons are scattered off hadrons in a kinematical regime where the hadrons are broken apart, with high virtuality $q$, in the exponentially small $x$ (Bjorken parameter) regime. Ou…
For gauge theories which admit a dual string description, we analyze deep inelastic scattering at strong 't Hooft coupling and high energy, in the vicinity of the unitarity limit. We discuss the onset of unitarity corrections and determine the saturation line which separates weak scattering from strong scattering in the parameter space of rapidity and photon virtuality. We discover that the approach towards unitarity proceeds through two different mechanisms, depending upon the photon virtuality Q^2 : single Pomeron exchange at relatively low Q^2 and, respectively, multiple graviton exchanges …
Differential cross sections of deep inelastic scattering of charged leptons from hadrons are investigated by using the gauge/string duality. We consider vector mesons derived from different holographic dual models obtaining a general expression. We focus on the strongly coupled regime of dual gauge theories for different values of the Bjorken parameter. We find new predictions which are particularly interesting for differential scattering cross sections of polarized leptons scattered off polarized vector mesons. We also carry out a detailed comparison of the moments of the structure functions …
In this paper, we investigate deep inelastic and elastic scattering on a polarized spin-1/2 hadron using gauge/string duality. This spin-1/2 hadron corresponds to a supergravity mode of the dilatino. The polarized deep inelastic structure functions are computed in supergravity approximation at large t' Hooft coupling $λ$ and finite $x$ with $λ^{-1/2}\ll x<1$. Furthermore, we discuss the moments of all structure functions, and propose an interesting sum rule $\int_{0}^{1} \textrm{d}x g_2(x, q^2) =0$ for $g_2$ structure function which is known as the Burkhardt-Cottingham sum rule in QCD. In the …
We study polarized deep inelastic scattering of charged leptons from spin-$1/2$ hadrons at low values of the Bjorken parameter and large 't Hooft coupling in terms of the gauge/string theory duality. We calculate the structure functions from type IIB superstring theory scattering amplitudes. We discuss the role of the non-Abelian Chern-Simons term and the Pauli term from the five-dimensional $SU(4)$ gauged supergravity. Furthermore, the exponentially small-$x$ regime where Regge physics becomes important is analyzed in detail for the antisymmetric structure functions. In this case the holograp…
A fragmenting relativistic string is widely used for modelling particle production via quark-gluon strings formed in hadron inelastic interactions of high energies. In this note we focus on motion and fragmentation of relativistic string with non-zero transverse separation of its ends and study this scenario as a possible mechanism bringing anisotropy into the asimuthal angle disribution of produced particles in inelastic interactions of hadrons.
In scenarios motivated by string theories, it is possible to have extra Kaluza-Klein dimensions compactified to rather large magnitudes, leading to large effects of gravity at scales down to a TeV. The effect of the spin-2 Kaluza-Klein modes on the deep-inelastic cross-section at HERA is investigated. We find that the data can be used to obtain bounds on the effective low energy scale, $M_S$.
We extend strong/weak coupling duality to string theories without spacetime supersymmetry, and focus on the case of the unique ten-dimensional, nonsupersymmetric, tachyon-free $SO(16)\times SO(16)$ heterotic string. We construct a tachyon-free heterotic string model that interpolates smoothly between this string and the ten-dimensional supersymmetric $SO(32)$ heterotic string, and we construct a dual for this interpolating model. We find that the perturbative massless states of our dual theories precisely match within a certain range of the interpolation. Further evidence for this proposed dua…
Both the supersymmetric $SO(32)$ and $E_8\times E_8$ heterotic strings in ten dimensions have known strong-coupling duals. However, it has not been known whether there also exist strong-coupling duals for the non-supersymmetric heterotic strings in ten dimensions. In this paper, we construct explicit open-string duals for the circle-compactifications of several of these non-supersymmetric theories, among them the tachyon-free $SO(16)\times SO(16)$ string. Our method involves the construction of heterotic and open-string interpolating models that continuously connect non-supersymmetric strings …
A new version of a Monte Carlo Program for hadronic multi-particle production is presented. It is based on the two-component Dual Parton Model which includes the dual topological unitarization of soft and hard cross sections. The model treats both soft (low $p_{\perp}$) and hard (minijet, large $p_{\perp}$) processes in a unified and consistent way. The unified description is important at TeV-energies of hadron colliders, where the hard perturbative cross sections of QCD become large and comparable to the total cross sections.
Within the gauge/gravity correspondence, we discuss the general formulation of the shockwave metric which is dual to a 'nucleus' described by the strongly-coupled N=4 SYM theory in the limit where the number of colors Nc is arbitrarily large. We emphasize that the 'nucleus' must possess Nc^2 degrees of freedom per unit volume, so like a finite-temperature plasma, in order for a supergravity description to exist. We critically reassess previous proposals for introducing transverse inhomogeneity in the shockwave and formulate a new proposal in that sense, which involves no external source but re…
We explore the possibilities for scaling violation in gauge theories that have string duals. Like in perturbative QCD, short-distance behaviour yields logarithms that violate the scaling.
We propose extended version of stationary string model to describe the nuclear attenuation. This model takes into account flavour content of particles and allows to include into consideration all hadrons created from string. The predictions of the model are compared with experimental results obtained by HERMES collaboration (DESY) on different nuclei (N and Kr).
Deep inelastic scattering of $\mathcal{R}$-currents and the scattering of a small dipole on finite length hot $\mathcal{N}=4$ SYM matter are discussed. In each case we find the scale when scattering becomes strong is determined by a saturation momentum $Q^2_s \sim LT^3/x$ where $L$ is the length of the matter. For $\mathcal{R}$-currents we analyze the operator product expansion. For infinite length matter the series generated by the OPE is not Borel summable but we are able to determine the exponential part of the tunneling amplitude determining $F_2$ when $\frac{Q^2}{Q^2_s}\gg 1$ from the pos…
We make an estimate of the quadratic correction based on gauge/string duality. Like in QCD, it proves to be negative and proportional to the string tension.
In the holographic or AdS/CFT dual to QCD, the Pomeron is identified with a Reggeized Graviton in $AdS_5$. We emphasize the importance of confinement, which in this context corresponds to a deformation of $AdS_5$ geometry in the IR. The holographic Pomeron provides a very good fit to the combined data from HERA for Deep Inelastic Scattering at small $x$, lending new confidence to this AdS dual approach to high energy diffractive scattering.
We give examples of modeling the string free energy whose behavior mimics that of QCD: a power-law at high temperature and an exponential decrease at low temperature. Although the effective description is in terms of strings, no limiting temperature exists, as expected for a crossover.
I review at a non-technical level the use of the gauge-string duality to study aspects of heavy ion collisions, with special emphasis on the trailing string calculation of heavy quark energy loss. I include some brief speculations on how variants of the trailing string construction could provide a toy model of black hole formation and evaporation. This essay is an invited contribution to "Forty Years of String Theory" and is aimed at philosophers and historians of science as well as physicists.
The string breaking phenomenon in QCD can be studied using the gauge/string duality. In this approach, one can make estimates of some of the string breaking distances at non-zero temperature and baryon chemical potential. These point towards the enhancement of baryon production in strong decays of heavy mesons in dense baryonic medium.
A covariantly constant dynamical two-form is exploited on a $D_3$-brane to obtain its gravity dual action, governing an $S^3$ deformed $AdS_5$ black hole, in a type IIB string theory on $S^1\times K3$. We invoke the Kaluza-Klein compactification to work out the open/closed string duality. Interestingly, the Reissner-Nordstrom black hole is obtained on the "non-Reimannian" braneworld.
The spatial string tension of a SU(N) gauge theory without quarks is calculated using gauge/string duality for 1.2T_c<T<3T_c. The result is remarkably consistent with the available lattice data for N=2,3. Some evidence is found that to leading order the large distance physics of a string can be described by a five-dimensional geometry without a need for an internal space.
We use gauge/string duality to analytically evaluate correlation lengths of the renormalized field strength correlators in pure Yang-Mills theories at zero and finite temperature.
We present the principles of the measurement of the quark transversity distributions in semi-inclusive deep inelastic electron scattering, which form the basis of HELP and one of the ELFE proposals. A string model for Collins-type asymmetry in polarized quark fragmentation function is proposed. A possible role of the Collins effect in the single spin asymmetries observed by experiment E 704 at Fermilab is suggested.
We use gauge/string duality to analytically evaluate the renormalized Polyakov loop in pure Yang-Mills theories. For SU(3), the result is in a quite good agreement with lattice simulations for a broad temperature range.
Making use of the gauge/string duality, it is possible to study some aspects of the string breaking phenomenon in the three quark system. Our results point out that the string breaking distance is not universal and depends on quark geometry. The estimates of the ratio of the string breaking distance in the three quark system to that in the quark-antiquark system would range approximately from $\frac{2}{3}$ to $1$. In addition, it is shown that there are special geometries which allow more than one breaking distance.
Light front wave functions motivated by holographic constructions are used to study Bloom-Gilman duality of deep inelastic scattering. Separate expressions for structure functions in terms of quark and hadronic degrees of freedom are presented, with a goal of relating the two expressions. A two-parton model is defined and resonance transition form factors are computed using previously derived light front wave functions. A new form of global duality is derived from the valence quark-number sum rule. Using a complete set of hadronic states is necessary for this new global duality to be achieved.…
