Week 29.01.2024 – 04.02.2024

In these lectures we will discuss various aspects of conformal field theories in Lorentzian signature. First, we will study the general properties of Lorentzian correlation functions, including their global conformal structure and the relation to Euclidean correlators. We will then consider the Regge limit of correlation functions and how this limit requires the introduction of complex spin. We will define complex spin using the Lorentzian inversion formula, and interpret it in terms of non-local light-ray operators. Finally, we will discuss applications of light-ray operators to even shape observables.

In this talk, I will discuss correlation functions in 6d (2, 0) theories of two 1/2-BPS operators inserted away from a 1/2-BPS surface defect. In the large central charge limit the leading connected contribution corresponds to sums of tree-level Witten diagram in AdS7×S4 in the presence of an AdS3 defect. I will show that these correlators can be uniquely determined by imposing only superconformal symmetry and consistency conditions, eschewing the details of the complicated effective Lagrangian. I will present the explicit result of all such two-point functions, which exhibits remarkable hidden simplicity.

I will discuss the physics of high energy, many-particle states from two complementary perspectives. First, I will present a new method for using data from conformal field theories to compute observables in more general QFTs, which can be used to numerically study many properties of many-particle states. Then I will consider an analytic approach to a particular set of these states, those near threshold, where many features become largely theory-independent.

In this talk, we delve into the world of spindle and disc solutions dual to 4d SCFTs. Despite extensive studies conducted over the years, certain aspects continue to challenge our understanding. Disc solutions, conjectured to be dual to Argyres-Douglas theories, present a puzzle as at first sight the symmetries do not match across the holographic correspondence. The spindle solutions, on the other hand, completely lack a proper understanding of their dual field theories. This talk aims to shed light on these puzzles, offering a detailed explanation for the breaking of the unwanted symmetry in disc solution. Furthermore, we will clarify various aspects of the spindle solution, contributing to a more profound understanding of the class S origin of the dual SCFTs. As a byproduct, we enlarge the class of holographic surface defects of the (2,0) theory as well as provide a concrete description of a class of locally N=1 preserving punctures.

The quest to understand the microscopic origins of Bekenstein-Hawking entropy has been a longstanding challenge for physicists. In the context of AdS black holes, this entropy is expected to be explicable in terms of the states of the holographic dual quantum field theory, as per the AdS/CFT framework. In my talk, I will introduce the idea of gluing gravitational blocks for supersymmetric AdS black holes in String/M-theory with arbitrary rotation and generic electric and magnetic charges. This approach provides insights into the large N behavior of the partition function of the corresponding holographic dual field theory. Time permitting, I will also delve into the partition function of the 6d (2, 0) theory on S^2 x M_3, where M_3 is either a three-sphere or S^2 x S^1, and analyse its large N behaviour.