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1. Scattering from (p, q)-strings in AdS5 × S5

   https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP03(2025)181  

   Pufu, Silviu S; Rodriguez, Victor A; Wang, Yifan (March 2025, Journal of High Energy Physics)

   A<sc>bstract</sc> Motivated by understanding the scattering of gravitons and their superpartners from extended (p,q)-strings in type IIB string theory via AdS/CFT, we study an integrated two-point function of stress tensor multiplet operators in the presence of a half-BPS line defect in$$ \mathcal{N} $$ $N$= 4 SU(N) super-Yang-Mills theory. We determine this integrated correlator at the five lowest non-trivial orders in$$ 1/\sqrt{N} $$ $1/\sqrt{N}$at fixed Yang-Mills coupling andθangle. Our calculations are performed explicitly when the line defect is a Wilson line, in which case we find a finite number of perturbative contributions at each order in$$ 1/\sqrt{N} $$ $1/\sqrt{N}$, as well as instanton contributions. Using SL(2,ℤ) transformations, our results can also be applied to Wilson-’t Hooft line defects dual to extended (p,q)-strings in the bulk. We analyze features of these integrated correlators in the weak coupling expansion by comparing with open-closed amplitudes of type IIB string theory on AdS₅× S⁵, as well as in its flat space limit. We predict new higher-derivative interaction vertices on the D1-brane and, more generally, on (p,q)-strings. 

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2. Topologically charged BPS microstates in AdS3/CFT2

   https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP03(2025)069  

   Ardehali, Arash Arabi; Krishna, Hare (March 2025, Journal of High Energy Physics)

   A<sc>bstract</sc> In the standard$$ \mathcal{N} $$ $N$= (4, 4) AdS₃/CFT₂with sym^N(T⁴), as well as the$$ \mathcal{N} $$ $N$= (2, 2) Datta-Eberhardt-Gaberdiel variant with sym^N(T⁴/ℤ₂), supersymmetric index techniques have not been applied so far to the CFT states with target-space momentum or winding. We clarify that the difficulty lies in a central extension of the SUSY algebra in the momentum and winding sectors, analogous to the central extension on the Coulomb branch of 4d$$ \mathcal{N} $$ $N$= 2 gauge theories. We define modified helicity-trace indices tailored to the momentum and winding sectors, and use them for microstate counting of the corresponding bulk black holes. In the$$ \mathcal{N} $$ $N$= (4, 4) case we reproduce the microstate matching of Larsen and Martinec. In the$$ \mathcal{N} $$ $N$= (2, 2) case we resolve a previous mismatch with the Bekenstein-Hawking formula encountered in the topologically trivial sector by going to certain winding sectors. 

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3. Large charge ’t Hooft limit of $$ \mathcal{N} $$ = 4 super-Yang-Mills

   https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP02(2024)047  

   Caetano, João; Komatsu, Shota; Wang, Yifan (February 2024, Journal of High Energy Physics)

   A<sc>bstract</sc> The planar integrability of$$ \mathcal{N} $$ $N$= 4 super-Yang-Mills (SYM) is the cornerstone for numerous exact observables. We show that the large charge sector of the SU(2)$$ \mathcal{N} $$ $N$= 4 SYM provides another interesting solvable corner which exhibits striking similarities despite being far from the planar limit. We study non-BPS operators obtained by small deformations of half-BPS operators withR-chargeJin the limitJ→ ∞ with$$ {\lambda}_J\equiv {g}_{\textrm{YM}}^2J/2 $$ ${\lambda }_J\equiv g_{\mathrm{YM}}^{2}J/2$fixed. The dynamics in thislarge charge ’t Hooft limitis constrained by a centrally-extended$$ \mathfrak{psu} $$ $\mathrm{psu}$(2|2)²symmetry that played a crucial role for the planar integrability. To the leading order in 1/J, the spectrum is fully fixed by this symmetry, manifesting the magnon dispersion relation familiar from the planar limit, while it is constrained up to a few constants at the next order. We also determine the structure constant of two large charge operators and the Konishi operator, revealing a rich structure interpolating between the perturbative series at weak coupling and the worldline instantons at strong coupling. In addition we compute heavy-heavy-light-light (HHLL) four-point functions of half-BPS operators in terms of resummed conformal integrals and recast them into an integral form reminiscent of the hexagon formalism in the planar limit. For general SU(N) gauge groups, we study integrated HHLL correlators by supersymmetric localization and identify a dual matrix model of sizeJ/2 that reproduces our large charge result atN= 2. Finally we discuss a relation to the physics on the Coulomb branch and explain how the dilaton Ward identity emerges from a limit of the conformal block expansion. We comment on generalizations including the large spin ’t Hooft limit, the combined largeN-largeJlimits, and applications to general$$ \mathcal{N} $$ $N$= 2 superconformal field theories. 

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4. Black hole to cosmic horizon microstates in string/M theory: timelike boundaries and internal averaging

   https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP05(2023)160  

   Silverstein, Eva (May 2023, Journal of High Energy Physics)

   A<sc>bstract</sc> In this note, we resolve an apparent obstacle to string/M theory realizations of dS observer patch holography, finding a new role for averaging in quantum gravity. The solvable$$ T\overline{T} $$ $T\overline{T}$(+Λ₂) deformation recently provided a detailed microstate count of thedS₃cosmic horizon, reproducing the refined Gibbons-Hawking entropy computed by Anninos et al. along with the correct radial bulk geometry. On the gravity side, the deformation brings in the boundary to just outside a black hole horizon, where it is indistinguishable from the dS cosmic horizon, enabling a continuous passage to a bounded patch of dS. In string/M theory, the relationship between AdS/CFT and dS involves uplifts that change the internal topology, e.g. replacing an internal sphere$$ \mathbbm{S} $$ $S$with an internal hyperbolic spaceℍ(and incorporating varying warp and conformal factors). We connect these two approaches, noting that the differences in the extra dimensions between AdS black hole and dS solutions are washed out by internal averaging in the presence of a timelike boundary skirting the horizon. This helps to motivate a detailed investigation into the possibility of such timelike boundaries in (A)dS solutions of string/M theory, and we take initial steps toward suitable generalizations of Liouville walls as one approach. 

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5. Approaching Argyres-Douglas theories

   https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP06(2024)082  

   Bharadwaj, Sriram; D’Hoker, Eric (June 2024, Journal of High Energy Physics)

   A<sc>bstract</sc> The Seiberg-Witten solution to four-dimensional$$ \mathcal{N} $$ $N$= 2 super-Yang-Mills theory with gauge group SU(N) and without hypermultiplets is used to investigate the neighborhood of the maximal Argyres-Douglas points of type$$ \left({\mathfrak{a}}_1,{\mathfrak{a}}_{N-1}\right) $$ $\left(a_1,a_{N-1}\right)$. A convergent series expansion for the Seiberg-Witten periods near the Argyres-Douglas points is obtained by analytic continuation of the series expansion around theℤ_2Nsymmetric point derived in arXiv:2208.11502. Along with direct integration of the Picard-Fuchs equations for the periods, the expansion is used to determine the location of the walls of marginal stability for SU(3). The intrinsic periods and Kähler potential of the$$ \left({\mathfrak{a}}_1,{\mathfrak{a}}_{N-1}\right) $$ $\left(a_1,a_{N-1}\right)$superconformal fixed point are computed by letting the strong coupling scale tend to infinity. We conjecture that the resulting intrinsic Kähler potential is positive definite and convex, with a unique minimum at the Argyres-Douglas point, provided only intrinsic Coulomb branch operators with unitary scaling dimensions ∆>1 acquire a vacuum expectation value, and provide both analytical and numerical evidence in support of this conjecture. In all the low rank examples considered here, it is found that turning on moduli dual to ∆ ≤ 1 operators spoils the positivity and convexity of the intrinsic Kähler potential. 

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