Holography and hydrodynamics: Diffusion on stretched horizons

Sep, 2003
27 pages
Published in:
  • JHEP 10 (2003) 064
e-Print:
Report number:
  • UW-PT-03-21,
  • INT-PUB-03-17

Citations per year

200320092015202120250102030405060
Abstract: (arXiv)
We show that long-time, long-distance fluctuations of plane-symmetric horizons exhibit universal hydrodynamic behavior. By considering classical fluctuations around black-brane backgrounds, we find both diffusive and shear modes. The diffusion constant and the shear viscosity are given by simple formulas, in terms of metric components. For a given metric, the answers can be interpreted as corresponding kinetic coefficients in the holographically dual theory. For the near-extremal Dp, M2 and M5 branes, the computed kinetic coefficients coincide with the results of independent AdS/CFT calculations. In all the examples, the ratio of shear viscosity to entropy density is equal to \hbar/(4\pi k_B), suggesting a special meaning of this value.
  • space-time
  • membrane model: D-brane
  • membrane model: p-brane
  • gauge field theory: U(1)
  • field equations: solution
  • diffusion
  • temperature: Hawking
  • holography
  • hydrodynamics
  • boundary condition