Quasinormal modes are eigenmodes of dissipative systems. Perturbations of classical gravitational backgrounds involving black holes or branes naturally lead to quasinormal modes. The analysis and classification of the quasinormal spectra require solving non-Hermitian eigenvalue problems for the associated linear differential equations. Within the recently developed gauge-gravity duality, these modes serve as an important tool for determining the near-equilibrium properties of strongly coupled quantum field theories, in particular their transport coefficients, such as viscosity, conductivity and diffusion constants. In astrophysics, the detection of quasinormal modes in gravitational wave experiments would allow precise measurements of the mass and spin of black holes as well as new tests of general relativity. This review is meant as an introduction to the subject, with a focus on the recent developments in the field.

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Quasinormal modes of black holes and black branes

We review recent progress in massive gravity. We start by showing how different theories of massive gravity emerge from a higher-dimensional theory of general relativity, leading to the Dvali-Gabadadze-Porrati model, cascading gravity and ghost-free massive gravity. We then explore their theoretical and phenomenological consistency, proving the absence of Boulware-Deser ghosts and reviewing the Vainshtein mechanism and the cosmological solutions in these models. Finally we present alternative and related models of massive gravity such as new massive gravity, Lorentz-violating massive gravity and non-local massive gravity.

Massive Gravity

General scaling arguments, and the behavior of the thermal entropy density, are shown to lead to an infrared metric holographically representing a compressible state with hidden Fermi surfaces. This metric is characterized by a general dynamic critical exponent, z, and a specic hyperscaling violation exponent, . The same metric exhibits a logarithmic violation of the area law of entanglement entropy, as shown recently by Ogawa et al. (arXiv:1111.1023). We study the dependence of the entanglement entropy on the shape of the entangling region(s), on the total charge density, on temperature, and on the presence of additional visible Fermi surfaces of gauge-neutral fermions; for the latter computations, we realize the needed metric in an Einstein-Maxwell-dilaton theory. All our results support the proposal that the holographic theory describes a metallic state with hidden Fermi surfaces of fermions carrying gauge charges of deconned gauge elds.

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Hidden Fermi surfaces in compressible states of gauge-gravity duality

These are notes based on a series of lectures given at the KITP workshop Quantum Criticality and the AdS/CFT Correspondence in July, 2009. The goal of the lectures was to introduce condensed matter physicists to the AdS/CFT correspondence. Discussion of string theory and of supersymmetry is avoided to the extent possible.

Holographic Duality with a View Toward Many-Body Physics

We present a review of theories of states of quantum matter without quasiparticle excitations. Solvable examples of such states are provided through a holographic duality with gravitational theories in an emergent spatial dimension. We review the duality between gravitational backgrounds and the various states of quantum matter which live on the boundary. We then describe quantum matter at a fixed commensurate density (often described by conformal field theories), and also compressible quantum matter with variable density, providing an extensive discussion of transport in both cases. We present a unified discussion of the holographic theory of transport with memory matrix and hydrodynamic methods, allowing a direct connection to experimentally realized quantum matter. We also explore other important challenges in non-quasiparticle physics, including symmetry broken phases such as superconductors and non-equilibrium dynamics.

Holographic Quantum Matter

A pioneering treatise presenting how the new mathematical techniques of holographic duality unify seemingly unrelated fields of physics. This innovative development morphs quantum field theory, general relativity and the renormalisation group into a single computational framework and this book is the first to bring together a wide range of research in this rapidly developing field. Set within the context of condensed matter physics and using boxes highlighting the specific techniques required, it examines the holographic description of thermal properties of matter, Fermi liquids and superconductors, and hitherto unknown forms of macroscopically entangled quantum matter in terms of general relativity, stars and black holes. Showing that holographic duality can succeed where classic mathematical approaches fail, this text provides a thorough overview of this major breakthrough at the heart of modern physics. The inclusion of extensive introductory material using non-technical language and online Mathematica notebooks ensures the appeal to students and researchers alike.

Holographic Duality in Condensed Matter Physics

We calculate the shear viscosity of field theories with gravity duals using Kubo formula by calculating the Green function of dual transverse gravitons and confirm that the value of the shear viscosity is fully determined by the effective coupling of transverse gravitons on the horizon. We calculate the effective coupling of transverse gravitons for Einstein and Gauss-Bonnet gravities coupled with matter fields, respectively. Then we apply the resulting formula to the case of AdS Gauss-Bonnet gravity with F(4) term corrections of Maxwell field and discuss the effect of F(4) terms on the ratio of the shear viscosity to entropy density.

Shear viscosity from effective couplings of gravitons

We calculate the shear viscosity of field theories with gravity duals of Gauss-Bonnet gravity with a nontrivial dilaton using anti-de Sitter/conformal field theory. We find that the dilaton field has a nontrivial contribution to the ratio of shear viscosity over entropy density, and, after imposing a causal constraint for the boundary field theory, the new lower bound 4/25 pi, obtained from pure Gauss-Bonnet gravity, may have a small violation.

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Shear viscosity from Gauss-Bonnet gravity with a dilaton coupling

We consider a higher derivative gravity theory in four dimensions with a negative cosmological constant and show that vacuum solutions of both Lifshitz type and Schrodinger type with arbitrary dynamical exponent z exist in this system. Then we find an analytic black hole solution which asymptotes to the vacuum Lifshitz solution with z = 3/2 at a specific value of the coupling constant. We analyze the thermodynamic behavior of this black hole and find that the black hole has zero entropy while non-zero temperature, which is very similar to the case of BTZ black holes in new massive gravity at a specific coupling. In addition, we find that the three dimensional Lifshitz black hole recently found by E. Ayon-Beato et al. has a negative entropy and mass when the Newton constant is taken to be positive.

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1126-6708/2009/10/080/pdf

A Lifshitz Black Hole in Four Dimensional R**2 Gravity

We consider z = 4 Horava-Lifshitz gravity in both 3+1 and 4+1 dimensions. We find black hole solutions in the IR region for a kind of z = 4 Horava-Lifshitz gravity which is inherited from the new massive gravity in three dimensions and an analog of the new massive gravity in four dimensions through the quantum inheritance principle. We analyze thermodynamic properties for the black hole solutions for z = 4 Horava-Lifshitz gravity. We also write out the Friedmann equation in 3+1 dimensions for cosmological solutions.

Ya-Wen Sun

Papers

Holographic Duality in Condensed Matter Physics

Shear viscosity from effective couplings of gravitons

Shear viscosity from Gauss-Bonnet gravity with a dilaton coupling

A Lifshitz Black Hole in Four Dimensional R**2 Gravity

On the z=4 Horava-Lifshitz Gravity