Even for holographic theories that obey boundary causality, the full bulk Lorentzian path integral includes metrics that violate this condition. This leads to the following puzzle: The commutator of two field theory operators at spacelike-separated points on the boundary must vanish. However, if these points are causally related in a bulk metric, then the bulk calculation of the commutator will be nonzero. It would appear that the integral over all metrics of this commutator must vanish exactly for holography to hold. This is puzzling since it must also be true if the commutator is multiplied by any other operator. Upon a careful treatment of boundary conditions in holography, we show how the bulk path integral leads to a natural resolution of this puzzle.
Gravitational time delay in asymptotically Anti de Sitter spaces has consequences for holographic duality. We argue that the requirement of bulk causality implies that it is not possible for a collection of boundary observers, performing local measurements, to extract information from precursors. Using similar arguments, we derive an integrated weak energy constraint on spacetimes which can admit a holographic dual.
We consider the holographic prescription problem in a (Lorentzian) AdS background, deriving from first principles the explicit formulas that relate the field at infinity with the field in the bulk. In contrast with the previous studies of the "real-time" holography problem, our derivation uses purely classical arguments that involve causality, as in the usual treatment of the holographic prescription problem in Wick-rotated spaces of Euclidean signature. We show that there is a unique propagator that preserves causality and see that this provides a simple picture of the relationship between th…
We use a WKB approximation to establish a relation between the wavefront velocity in a strongly coupled theory and the local speed of light in a holographic dual, with our main focus put on systems with Lifshitz scaling with dynamical exponent z. We then use Einstein equations to relate the behavior of the local speed of light in the bulk with the null energy condition (NEC) for bulk matter, and we show that it is violated for Lifshitz backgrounds with z<1. We study signal propagation in the gravity dual and show that violations of the NEC are incompatible with causality in the strongly couple…
We consider Lovelock theories of gravity in the context of AdS/CFT. We show that, for these theories, causality violation on a black hole background can occur well in the interior of the geometry, thus posing more stringent constraints than were previously found in the literature. Also, we find that instabilities of the geometry can appear for certain parameter values at any point in the geometry, as well in the bulk as close to the horizon. These new sources of causality violation and instability should be related to CFT features that do not depend on the UV behavior. They solve a puzzle foun…
We show how causal relativistic Navier-Stokes equations arise from the relativistic Boltzmann equation: the causality is preserved via a judicious choice of the zero modes of the collision operator. A completely analogous procedure may be used to extract causal hydrodynamics from the fluid-gravity correspondence: again, causality of the hydrodynamic equations is preserved by a suitable choice of zero modes of the corresponding differential operators in the bulk. We give examples of zero modes which give rise to causal hydrodynamic equations for non-conformal fluids with a conserved U(1) global…
In this paper, we extend the analysis of the Lorentz-violating Quantum Eletrodynamics to the non-Abelian case: an SO(3) Yang-Mills Lagrangian with the addition of the non-Abelian Chern-Simons-type term. We consider the spontaneous symmetry breaking of the model and inspect its spectrum in order to check if unitarity and causality are respected. An analysis of the topological structure is also carried out and we show that a 't Hooft-Polyakov solution for monopoles is still present.
We present an overview of the construction of the general holographic dictionary for asymptotically locally Lifshitz and hyperscaling violating Lifshitz backgrounds with arbitrary dynamical exponents $z$ and $θ$, compatible with the null energy condition, which was recently developed in [1,2]. A concrete definition of asymptotically locally Lifshitz and hyperscaling violating Lifshitz backgrounds is provided in the context of a generic bottom-up Einstein-Proca-Dilaton theory, and a systematic procedure for solving the radial Hamilton-Jacobi equation via a covariant expansion in eigenfunctions …
We explore the constraints boundary causality places on the allowable Gauss-Bonnet gravitational couplings in asymptotically AdS spaces, specifically considering spherical black hole solutions. We additionally consider the hyperbolicity properties of these solutions, positing that hyperbolicity-violating solutions are sick solutions whose causality properties provide no information about the theory they reside in. For both signs of the Gauss-Bonnet coupling, spherical black holes violate boundary causality at smaller absolute values of the coupling than planar black holes do. For negative coup…
The gauge-invariant Chern-Simons-type Lorentz- and CPT-breaking term is here re-assessed and issues like causality, unitarity, spontaneous gauge-symmetry breaking are investigated. Moreover, we obtain a minimal extension of such a system to a supersymmetric environment. We comment on resulting peculiar self-couplings for the gauge sector, as well as on background contribution for gaugino masses.
We derive new black hole solutions in Einstein-Maxwell-Axion-Dilaton theory with a hyperscaling violation exponent. We then examine the corresponding anomalous transport exhibited by cuprate strange metals in the normal phase of high-temperature superconductors via gauge/gravity duality. Linear temperature dependence resistivity and quadratic temperature dependence inverse Hall angle can be achieved. In the high temperature regime, the heat conductivity and Hall Lorenz ratio are proportional to the temperature. The Nernst signal first increases as temperature goes up but it then decreases with…
Institute of Theoretical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences（中国科学院理论物理研究所）；School of Physical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences（中国科学院大学物理科学学院）
We construct a 3+1 dimensional holographic model dual to a parity violating hydrodynamic system in 2+1 dimensions. Our model contains gravitational and electrodynamic Chern-Simons terms coupled to a neutral pseudo scalar $θ$, and a potential composed of quadratic and quartic terms in $θ$. The background is a charged black brane. We study the hydrodynamics to first order in spacetime derivatives near the probe limit of the pseudo scalar, by extracting the transport coefficients from the scalar, vector, and tensor modes of bulk perturbations. We study two mechanisms for breaking the parity of th…
Double holography plays a crucial role in recent studies of Hawking radiation and information paradox by relating an intermediate picture, in which a dynamical gravity living on an end-of-the-world brane is coupled to a non-gravitational heat bath, to a much better-understood BCFT picture as well as a bulk picture. In this paper, causal structures in generic double holographic setups are studied. We find that the causal structure in the bulk picture is compatible with causality in the BCFT picture, thanks to a generalization of the Gao-Wald theorem. On the other hand, consistency with the bulk…
Stringent limits on the Myers-Pospelov timelike parameter for photons $ξ<10^{-15}$ coming from astrophysical tests suggest exploring more general preferred backgrounds, such as spacelike and lightlike. We take some steps in this direction. We allow the external four vector $n$ characterizing the Lorentz symmetry breaking to have arbitrary directions in spacetime. We study the consistency for the effective field theories in each privileged frame by demanding causality, stability and analyticity. When specializing to a timelike background we found runaway solutions leading to causality and unita…
We consider quantum electrodynamics with an additional Lorentz- and CPT-violating axial-vector term in the fermionic sector and discuss the possibility that radiative corrections induce a Lorentz- and CPT-violating Chern-Simons-like term for the gauge field. From the requirement of causality and the assumed validity of perturbation theory, we conclude that the induced Chern-Simons-like term must be absent in the full quantum field theory.
We provide a general algorithm for constructing the holographic dictionary for any asymptotically locally Lifshitz background, with or without hyperscaling violation, and for any values of the dynamical exponents $z$ and $θ$, as well as the vector hyperscaling violating exponent, that are compatible with the null energy condition. The analysis is carried out for a very general bottom up model of gravity coupled to a massive vector field and a dilaton with arbitrary scalar couplings. The solution of the radial Hamilton-Jacobi equation is obtained recursively in the form of a graded expansion in…
We present a new black hole solution in the asymptotic Lifshitz spacetime with a hyperscaling violating factor. A novel computational method is introduced to compute the DC thermoelectric conductivities analytically. We find that both the linear-T and quadratic-T contributions to the resistivity can be realized, indicating that a more detailed comparison with experimental phenomenology can be performed in this scenario.
For the construction of the Lorentzian path integral for gravity one faces two main questions: Firstly, what configurations to include, in particular whether to allow Lorentzian metrics that violate causality conditions. And secondly, how to evaluate a highly oscillatory path integral over unbounded domains. Relying on Picard-Lefschetz theory to address the second question for discrete Regge gravity, we will illustrate that it can also answer the first question. To this end we will define the Regge action for complexified variables and study its analytical continuation. Although there have bee…
We examine holographic theories where Lifshitz symmetry is broken with spatial anisotropy. In particular, we focus on the conditions imposed by the null energy condition, and demonstrate that it is possible to have unusual anisotropic fixed points where a subset of the spatial dimensions have negative scaling exponents. We also construct interpolating solutions between UV and IR fixed points and show that there is essentially no restriction placed on the endpoints of the flow once anisotropic scaling is allowed. As an example, we demonstrate a flow from AdS to AdS with $c_{IR}>c_{UV}$ that is …
Based on the motivation that some quantum gravity theories predicts the Lorentz Invariance Violation (LIV) around Planck-scale energy levels, this paper proposes a new formalism that addresses the possible effects of LIV in the electrodynamics. This formalism is capable of changing the usual electrodynamics through high derivative arbitrary mass dimension terms that includes a constant background field controlling the intensity of LIV in the models, producing modifications in the dispersion relations in a manner that is similar to the Myers-Pospelov approach. With this framework, it was possib…
We present a general algorithm for constructing the holographic dictionary for Lifshitz and hyperscaling violating Lifshitz backgrounds for any value of the dynamical exponent $z$ and any value of the hyperscaling violation parameter $θ$ compatible with the null energy condition. The objective of the algorithm is the construction of the general asymptotic solution of the radial Hamilton-Jacobi equation subject to the desired boundary conditions, from which the full dictionary can be subsequently derived. Contrary to the relativistic case, we find that a fully covariant construction of the asym…
We study the question of whether a composite structure of elementary particles, with a length scale $1/Λ$, can leave observable effects of non-locality and causality violation at higher energies (but $\lesssim Λ$). We formulate a model-independent approach based on Bogoliubov-Shirkov formulation of causality. We analyze the relation between the fundamental theory (of finer constituents) and the derived theory (of composite particles). We assume that the fundamental theory is causal and formulate a condition which must be fulfilled for the derived theory to be causal. We analyze the condition a…
We analyze properties of field theories dual to extremal black branes in (4+1) dimensions with anisotropic near-horizon geometries. Such gravity solutions were recently shown to fall into nine classes which align with the Bianchi classification of real three-dimensional Lie algebras. As a warmup we compute constraints on critical exponents from energy conditions in the bulk and scalar two point functions for a general type I metric, which has translation invariance but broken rotations. We also comment on the divergent nature of tidal forces in general Bianchi-type metrics. Then we come to our…
We develop a framework that facilitates the study of the causal structure of spacetimes with a causally preferred foliation. Such spacetimes may arise as solutions of Lorentz-violating theories, e.g. Horava gravity. Our framework allows us to rigorously define concepts such as black/white holes and to formalize the notion of a `universal horizon', that has been previously introduced in the simpler setting of static and spherically symmetric geometries. We also touch upon the issue of development and prove that universal horizons are Cauchy horizons when evolution depends on boundary data or as…
We apply the $AdS/CFT$ holography to the simplest possible eternal time machine solution in $AdS_3$ based on two conical defects moving around their center of mass along a circular orbit. Closed timelike curves in this space-time extend all the way to the boundary of $AdS_3$, violating causality of the boundary field theory. By use of the geodesic approximation we address the "grandfather paradox" in the dual $1+1$ dimensional field theory and calculate the two-point retarded Green function. It has a non-trivial analytical structure both at negative and positive times, providing us with an int…
The derivation of Lifshitz-invariant hydrodynamics from holography, presented in [arXiv:1508.02494] is generalized to arbitrary hyperscaling violating Lifshitz scaling theories with an unbroken U(1) symmetry. The hydrodynamics emerging is non-relativistic with scalar "forcing". By a redefinition of the pressure it becomes standard non-relativistic hydrodynamics in the presence of specific chemical potential for the mass current. The hydrodynamics is compatible with the scaling theory of Lifshitz invariance with hyperscaling violation. The bulk viscosity vanishes while the shear viscosity to en…
We construct a massive spin-2 theory in 2+1 dimensions that is immune to the bulk-boundary unitarity conflict in anti-de Sitter space and hence amenable to holography. The theory is an extension of Topologically Massive Gravity, just like the recently found Minimal Massive Gravity (MMG), but it has two massive helicity modes instead of a single one. The theory admits all the solutions of TMG with a redefined topological parameter. We calculate the Shapiro time-delay and show that flat-space (local) causality is not violated. We show that there is an interesting relation between the theory we p…
It has been suggested that a possible candidate for the present accelerated expansion of the Universe is ''phantom energy''. The latter possesses an equation of state of the form $ω\equiv p/ρ<-1$, consequently violating the null energy condition. As this is the fundamental ingredient to sustain traversable wormholes, this cosmic fluid presents us with a natural scenario for the existence of these exotic geometries. Due to the fact of the accelerating Universe, macroscopic wormholes could naturally be grown from the submicroscopic constructions that originally pervaded the quantum foam. One cou…
Anomalous chiral conductivities in theories with global anomalies are independent of whether they are computed in a weakly coupled quantum (or thermal) field theory, hydrodynamics, or at infinite coupling from holography. While the presence of dynamical gauge fields and mixed, gauge-global anomalies can destroy this universality, in their absence, the non-renormalisation of anomalous Ward identities is expected to be obeyed at all intermediate coupling strengths. In holography, bulk theories with higher-derivative corrections incorporate coupling constant corrections to the boundary theory obs…
In order to avoid unphysical causality-violating effects any rigidly rotating system must be bounded in directions transverse to the axis of rotation. We demonstrate that this requirement implies substantial dependence of properties of relativistically rotating system on the boundary conditions. We consider a system of interacting fermions described by the Nambu-Jona-Lasinio model in a space bounded by cylindrical surface of finite radius. In order to confine the fermions inside the cylinder we impose "chiral" MIT boundary conditions on its surface. These boundary conditions are parameterized …
