dc.contributor.advisor Denef, Frederik dc.contributor.author Petrov, Pavel dc.date.accessioned 2013-03-06T16:12:49Z dc.date.issued 2013-03-06 dc.date.submitted 2012 dc.identifier.citation Petrov, Pavel. 2012. Effect of Curvature Squared Corrections to Gravitational Action on Viscosity-to-Entropy Ratio of the Dual Gauge Theory. Doctoral dissertation, Harvard University. en_US dc.identifier.other http://dissertations.umi.com/gsas.harvard:10549 en dc.identifier.uri http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:10368126 dc.description.abstract In this thesis we study the properties of strongly-coupled large-N conformal ﬁeld theories (CFT’s) using AdS/CFT correspondence. Chapter 1 serves as an introduction. In Chapter 2 we study the shear viscosity of strongly-coupled large-N conformal ﬁeld theories. We find that it is affected by $R^2$ corrections to the AdS action and present an example of 4D theory in which the the conjectured universal lower bound on viscosity-to-entropy ratio $\eta/s > 1/4 \pi$ is violated by 1/N corrections. This fact proves that there is no universal lower bound of $1/4 \pi$ on viscosity-to-entropy ratio and may be relevant for the studies of QCD quark-gluon plasma for which this ratio is experimentally found to be close to $1/4 \pi$. In Chapter 3 we study the formation of the electron star in 4D AdS space. We show that in a gravity theory with charged fermions a layer of charged fermion fluid may form at a finite distance from the charged black hole. We show that these “electron stars” are candidate gravity duals for strongly interacting fermion systems at finite density and finite temperature. Entropy density for such systems scales as $s \sim T^{2/z}$ at low temperatures as expected from IR criticality of electron stars solutions. en_US dc.description.sponsorship Physics en_US dc.language.iso en_US en_US dash.license META_ONLY dc.subject Physics en_US dc.subject Theoretical physics en_US dc.subject AdS/CFT en_US dc.subject black holes en_US dc.subject electron stars en_US dc.subject entropy en_US dc.subject gravity en_US dc.subject viscosity en_US dc.title Effect of Curvature Squared Corrections to Gravitational Action on Viscosity-to-Entropy Ratio of the Dual Gauge Theory en_US dc.type Thesis or Dissertation en_US dash.embargo.until 10000-01-01 thesis.degree.date 2012 en_US thesis.degree.discipline Physics en_US thesis.degree.grantor Harvard University en_US thesis.degree.level doctoral en_US thesis.degree.name Ph.D. en_US dc.contributor.committeeMember Strominger, Andrew en_US dc.contributor.committeeMember Franklin, Melissa en_US dash.contributor.affiliated Petrov, Pavel
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