Particle Theory Seminar - Scott Collier - “The Virasoro Minimal String”

Event time: 
Tuesday, October 31, 2023 - 4:00pm to 5:00pm
Location: 
Sloane Physics Laboratory (SPL), Room 48 See map
217 Prospect Street
New Haven, CT 06511
Event description: 

I will introduce a critical string theory in two dimensions and explain that this theory, viewed as two-dimensional quantum gravity on the worldsheet, admits an equivalent holographic description in terms of a double-scaled matrix integral. The worldsheet theory consists of Liouville CFT with central charge c>25 coupled to timelike Liouville CFT with central charge 26-c. The dual matrix integral has as its leading density of eigenvalues the universal Cardy density of primary states in a two-dimensional CFT of central charge c, which motivates the name of the theory. This duality holds for any value of the continuous parameter c and reduces to the well-known JT gravity/matrix integral duality in the large central charge limit, thus providing a precise stringy realization of JT gravity. Based on work with Lorenz Eberhardt, Beatrix Mühlmann and Victor Rodriguez.