Seminar in Hadronic Physics

How can AdS/CFT be useful for heavy-ion physics?

Pavel Kovtun

KITP, UCSB

Finite-temperature properties of certain strongly coupled gauge theories can be analyzed by using a dual string theory description (AdS/CFT correspondence). I will discuss results for transport coefficients, photon emission rate, and energy loss by heavy quarks in thermal equilibrium state of strongly coupled N=4 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory. I will also discuss what one can further do, and what one should not do in applying AdS/CFT to heavy-ion collisions.