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Gravitation, thermodynamics, and the bound on viscosity

  • Essay Awarded by the Gravity Research Foundation
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Abstract

The anti-de Sitter/conformal field theory (AdS/CFT) correspondence implies that small perturbations of a black hole correspond to small deviations from thermodynamic equilibrium in a dual field theory. For gauge theories with an Einstein gravity dual, the AdS/CFT correspondence predicts a universal value for the ratio of the shear viscosity to the entropy density, η/s = 1/4π. It was conjectured recently that all fluids conform to the lower bound η/s ≥ 1/4π. This conjectured bound has been the focus of much recent attention. However, despite the flurry of research in this field we still lack a proof for the general validity of the bound. In this essay we show that this mysterious bound is actually a direct outcome of the interplay between gravity, quantum theory, and thermodynamics.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Ruppin Academic Center, 40250, Emeq Hefer, Israel

    Shahar Hod

  2. The Hadassah Institute, HaNeviim 37, 91010, Jerusalem, Israel

    Shahar Hod

Authors
  1. Shahar Hod
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Correspondence to Shahar Hod.

Additional information

Third Award in the 2009 Essay Competition of the Gravity Research Foundation.

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Hod, S. Gravitation, thermodynamics, and the bound on viscosity. Gen Relativ Gravit 41, 2295–2299 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10714-009-0849-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10714-009-0849-z

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