We study the time dependence of the entanglement entropy of disjoint intervals following a global quantum quench in ($1+1$)-dimensional CFTs at large $c$ with a sparse spectrum. The result agrees with a holographic calculation but differs from the free field theory answer. In particular, a simple model of free quasiparticle propagation is not adequate for CFTs with a holographic dual. We elaborate on the entanglement tsunami proposal of Liu and Suh and show how it can be used to reproduce the holographic answer.

In this paper, we extend the Hamilton-Kabat-Lifschytz-Lowe (HKLL) holographic smearing function method to reconstruct (quasi)local anti-de Sitter bulk scalar observables in the background of a large anti-de Sitter black hole formed by null shell collapse (a “pure state” black hole), from the dual conformal field theory which is undergoing a sudden quench. In particular, we probe the near horizon and subhorizon bulk locality. First, we construct local bulk operators from the conformal field theory in the leading semiclassical limit, $N\to \infty$. Then, we look at effects due to the finiteness of $N$, where we propose a suitable coarse-graining prescription involving early and late time cutoffs to define semiclassical bulk observables which are approximately local, their departure from locality being nonperturbatively small in $N$. Our results have important implications on the black hole information problem.

In the left-right symmetric model neutral gauge fields are characterized by three mixing angles ${\theta }_{12},{\theta }_{23},{\theta }_{13}$ between three gauge fields $B_{\mu },W_{L\mu }^3,W_{R\mu }^3$, which produce mass eigenstates $A_{\mu },Z_{\mu },Z_{\mu }^{\prime }$, when $G=SU(2{)}_L\times SU(2{)}_R\times U(1{)}_{B-L}\times D$ is spontaneously broken down until $U(1{)}_{\text{em}}$. We find a new mixing angle ${\theta }^{\prime }$, which corresponds to the Weinberg angle ${\theta }_W$ in the standard model with the $SU(2{)}_L\times U(1{)}_Y$ gauge symmetry, from these mixing angles. It is then shown that any mixing angle ${\theta }_{ij}$ can be expressed by $ϵ$ and ${\theta }^{\prime }$, where $ϵ=g_L/g_R$ is a ratio of running left-right gauge coupling strengths. We observe that light gauge bosons are described by ${\theta }^{\prime }$ only, whereas heavy gauge bosons are described by two parameters $ϵ$ and ${\theta }^{\prime }$.

We study the contribution of the thermal zero modes to the Casimir free energy in the case of a fluctuating electromagnetic (EM) field in the presence of real materials described by frequency-dependent, local and isotropic permittivity ($\epsilon$) and permeability ($\mu$) functions. Those zero modes, present at any finite temperature, become dominant at high temperatures since the theory is dimensionally reduced. Our work, within the context of the derivative expansion (DE) approach, focuses on the emergence of nonanalyticities in that dimensionally reduced theory. We conclude that the DE is well defined whenever the function $\mathrm{\Omega }(\omega )$, defined by $[\mathrm{\Omega }(\omega ){]}^2\equiv {\omega }^2\epsilon (\omega )$, vanishes in the zero-frequency limit for at least one of the two material media involved.

We present a quantum model of the vacuum Bianchi-IX dynamics. It is based on four main elements. First, we use a compound quantization procedure: an affine coherent state quantization for isotropic variables and a Weyl quantization for anisotropic ones. Second, inspired by standard approaches in molecular physics, we make an adiabatic approximation (Born-Oppenheimer-like approximation). Third, we expand the anisotropy potential about its minimum in order to deal with its harmonic approximation. Fourth, we develop an analytical treatment on the semiclassical level. The resolution of the classical singularity occurs due to a repulsive potential generated by the affine quantization. This procedure shows that during contraction the quantum energy of anisotropic degrees of freedom grows much slower than the classical one. Furthermore, far from the quantum bounce, the classical recollapse is reproduced. Our treatment is put in the general context of methods of molecular physics, which can include both adiabatic and nonadiabatic approximations.

We obtain Mathisson-Papapetrou-Tulczyjew-Dixon (MPTD) equations of a rotating body with given values of spin and momentum starting from Lagrangian action without auxiliary variables. MPTD equations correspond to the minimal interaction of our spinning particle with gravity. We briefly discuss some novel properties deduced from the Lagrangian form of MPTD equations: the emergence of an effective metric instead of the original one, the noncommutativity of coordinates of the representative point of the body, spin corrections to the Newton potential due to the effective metric, as well as spin corrections to the expression for integrals of motion of a given isometry.

We propose a new scalar-tensor model which induces significant deviation from general relativity inside dense objects like neutron stars, while passing the Solar System and terrestrial experiments, extending a model proposed by Damour and Esposito-Farese. Unlike their model, we employ a massive scalar field, dubbed the “asymmetron,” that not only realizes proper cosmic evolution but can also account for the cold dark matter. In our model, the asymmetron undergoes spontaneous scalarization inside dense objects, which results in the reduction of the gravitational constant by a factor of order unity. This suggests that observational tests of the constancy of the gravitational constant in the high-density phase are effective ways to study the asymmetron model.

From the field equations in the linear regime of the characteristic formulation of general relativity, Bishop, for a Schwarzschild’s background, and Mädler, for a Minkowski’s background, were able to show that it is possible to derive a fourth order ordinary differential equation, called master equation, for the $J$ metric variable of the Bondi-Sachs metric. Once $\beta$, another Bondi-Sachs potential, is obtained from the field equations, and $J$ is obtained from the master equation, the other metric variables are solved integrating directly the rest of the field equations. In the past, the master equation was solved for the first multipolar terms, for both the Minkowski’s and Schwarzschild’s backgrounds. Also, Mädler recently reported a generalisation of the exact solutions to the linearised field equations when a Minkowski’s background is considered, expressing the master equation family of solutions for the vacuum in terms of Bessel’s functions of the first and the second kind. Here, we report new solutions to the master equation for any multipolar moment $l$, with and without matter sources in terms only of the first kind Bessel’s functions for the Minkowski, and in terms of the Confluent Heun’s functions (Generalised Hypergeometric) for radiative (nonradiative) case in the Schwarzschild’s background. We particularize our families of solutions for the known cases for $l=2$ reported previously in the literature and find complete agreement, showing the robustness of our results.

In the simulations of the multi-black holes and merging black holes a larger primary image and a secondary smaller image which looks like an eyebrow and the deformation of the shadows have been observed. However, this kind of eyebrow-like structure was considered as unique feature of multi-black hole systems. In this paper, we illustrate the new result that in the case of octupole distortions of a Schwarzschild black hole the local observer sees two shadows or two images for this single black hole, i.e., also an eyebrow-like structure. The presence of two images in our case is remarkable, as we have only one black hole, however, the observer sees two dark images of this single black hole.

We show that, in the first or second order orthonormal frame formalism, black hole entropy is the horizon Noether charge for a combination of diffeomorphism and local Lorentz symmetry involving the Lie derivative of the frame. The Noether charge for diffeomorphisms alone is unsuitable, since a regular frame cannot be invariant under the flow of the Killing field at the bifurcation surface. We apply this formalism to Lagrangians polynomial in wedge products of the frame field 1-form and curvature 2-form, including general relativity, Lovelock gravity, and “topological” terms in four dimensions.

Quantum inequalities are constraints on how negative the weighted average of the renormalized stress-energy tensor of a quantum field can be. A null-projected quantum inequality can be used to prove the averaged null energy condition, which would then rule out exotic phenomena such as wormholes and time machines. In this work we derive such an inequality for a massless minimally coupled scalar field, working to first order of the Riemann tensor and its derivatives. We then use this inequality to prove the averaged null energy condition on achronal geodesics in a curved background that obeys the null convergence condition.

By defining $Q$ as a function which realizes the energy transference between the bulk and the boundary of spacetime, as we interpret it here in the framework of the flat case of Hořava-Lifshitz cosmology, we discuss the validity of the second law of thermodynamics in light of the sign changes of $Q$ (changes in the direction of energy transference) and its consequences through the cosmic evolution, in particular, whether the thermal equilibrium between the bulk and the boundary is reached or not. Additionally, we discuss possible phase transitions experienced by the bulk and the boundary (seen as sign changes in their heat capacities) through the cosmic evolution. The energy density in the bulk is modeled under a holographic perspective. As far as we know, currently there is not observational data on the bulk-boundary interaction.

The standard formalism for the coevolution of halos and dark matter predicts that any initial halo velocity bias rapidly decays to zero. We argue that, when the purpose is to compute statistics like power spectra etc., the coupling in the momentum conservation equation for the biased tracers must be modified. Our new formulation predicts the constancy in time of any statistical halo velocity bias present in the initial conditions, in agreement with peak theory. We test this prediction by studying the evolution of a conserved halo population in $N$-body simulations. We establish that the initial simulated halo density and velocity statistics show distinct features of the peak model and, thus, deviate from the simple local Lagrangian bias. We demonstrate, for the first time, that the time evolution of their velocity is in tension with the rapid decay expected in the standard approach.

We investigate compact objects formed by dark matter admixed with ordinary matter made of neutron-star matter and white-dwarf material. We consider non-self annihilating dark matter with an equation of state given by an interacting Fermi gas. We find new stable solutions, dark compact planets, with Earth-like masses and radii from a few Km to few hundred Km for weakly interacting dark matter which are stabilized by the mutual presence of dark matter and compact star matter. For the strongly interacting dark matter case, we obtain dark compact planets with Jupiter-like masses and radii of few hundred Km. These objects could be detected by observing exoplanets with unusually small radii. Moreover, we find that the recently observed $2{\mathrm{M}}_{\odot }$ pulsars set limits on the amount of dark matter inside neutron stars which is, at most, $10^{-6}{\mathrm{M}}_{\odot }$.

ATLAS and CMS observe deviations from the expected background in diboson invariant mass searches of new resonances around 2 TeV. We provide a general analysis of the results in terms of spin-one resonances and find that Fermi scale composite dynamics can be the culprit. The analysis and methodology can be employed for future searches at run two of the Large Hadron Collider.

Many observables of interest in lattice QCD are extracted from correlation functions involving the vector current. If Wilson fermions are used, it is therefore of practical importance that, besides the action, the current be $\mathrm{O}(a)$ improved in order to remove the leading discretization errors from the observables. Here we introduce and apply a new method to determine the improvement coefficient for the two most widely used discretizations of the current.

We study the charmful decays of the two-body ${\mathcal{B}}_b\to {\mathcal{B}}_n{M}_c$ decays, where ${\mathcal{B}}_b$ represents the antitriplet of $({\mathrm{\Lambda }}_b,{\mathrm{\Xi }}_b^0,{\mathrm{\Xi }}_b^{-})$, ${\mathcal{B}}_n$ stands for the baryon octet, and $M_c$ denotes the charmed meson of $D_{(s)}^{(*)}$, ${\eta }_c$ and $J/\psi$. Explicitly, we predict that $\mathcal{B}({\mathrm{\Lambda }}_b\to D_s^{-}p)=(1.8\pm 0.3)\times {10}^{-5}$, which is within the measured upper bound of $\mathcal{B}({\mathrm{\Lambda }}_b\to D_s^{-}p)<4.8(5.3)\times {10}^{-4}$ at 90% (95%) C.L., and reproduce $\mathcal{B}({\mathrm{\Lambda }}_b\to J/\psi \mathrm{\Lambda })=(3.3\pm 2.0)\times {10}^{-4}$ and $\mathcal{B}({\mathrm{\Xi }}_b^{-}\to J/\psi {\mathrm{\Xi }}^{-})=(5.1\pm 3.2)\times {10}^{-4}$ in agreement with the data. Moreover, we find that $\mathcal{B}({\mathrm{\Lambda }}_b\to \mathrm{\Lambda }{\eta }_c)=(1.5\pm 0.9)\times {10}^{-4}$, $\mathcal{B}({\mathrm{\Xi }}_b^{-}\to {\mathrm{\Xi }}^{-}{\eta }_c)=(2.4\pm 1.5)\times {10}^{-4}$ and $\mathcal{B}({\mathrm{\Xi }}_b^0\to {\mathrm{\Xi }}^0{\eta }_c,{\mathrm{\Xi }}^{0}J/\psi )=(2.3\pm 1.4,4.9\pm 3.0)\times {10}^{-4}$, which are accessible to the experiments at the LHCb.

The total photoproduction cross section at ultrahigh energies is obtained using a model based on QCD minijets and soft-gluon resummation and the ansatz that infrared gluons limit the rise of total cross sections. This cross section is introduced into the Monte Carlo system AIRES to simulate extended air showers initiated by cosmic ray photons. The impact of the new photoproduction cross section on common shower observables, especially those related to muon production, is compared with previous results.