We show that when a volume of quark matter rotates, there is an axial current flowing along the rotation axis. This effect has been overlooked in all previous treatments of relativistic fluids until calculations using gauge/gravity duality indicate it existence. The effect is a manifestation of triangle anomalies, and may exhibit itself in heavy ion collisions with nonzero impact parameter.
This course begins with a thorough introduction to quantum field theory. Unlike the usual quantum field theory courses which aim at applications to particle physics, this course then focuses on those quantum field theoretic techniques that are important in the presence of gravity. In particular, this course introduces the properties of quantum fluctuations of fields and how they are affected by curvature and by gravitational horizons. We will cover the highly successful inflationary explanation of the fluctuation spectrum of the cosmic microwave background - and therefore the modern understanding of the quantum origin of all inhomogeneities in the universe (see these amazing visualizations from the data of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. They display the inhomogeneous distribution of galaxies several billion light years into the universe: Sloan Digital Sky Survey).
After a review of the axiomatic formulation of quantum theory, the generalized operational structure of the theory will be introduced (including POVM measurements, sequential measurements, and CP maps). There will be an introduction to the orthodox (sometimes called Copenhagen) interpretation of quantum mechanics and the historical problems/issues/debates regarding that interpretation, in particular, the measurement problem and the EPR paradox, and a discussion of contemporary views on these topics. The majority of the course lectures will consist of guest lectures from international experts covering the various approaches to the interpretation of quantum theory (in particular, many-worlds, de Broglie-Bohm, consistent/decoherent histories, and statistical/epistemic interpretations, as time permits) and fundamental properties and tests of quantum theory (such as entanglement and experimental tests of Bell inequalities, contextuality, macroscopic quantum phenomena, and the problem of quantum gravity, as time permits).
Binary neutron stars are among the most important sources of gravitational waves which are expected to be detected by the current or next generation of gravitational wave detectors, such as LIGO and Virgo, and they are also thought to be at the origin of very important astrophysical phenomena, such as short gamma-ray bursts. In order to describe the dynamics of these events one needs to solve the full set of general relativistic magnetohydrodynamics equations through the use of parallel numerical codes. I will report on some recent results obtained with the use of the fully general relativistic magnetohydrodynamic code Whisky in simulating binary neutron stars which inspiral and merge forming an hypermassive neutron star which eventually collapses to form a black hole surrounded by a torus. I will in particular describe how mass, equation of state and magnetic fields can affect the dynamics and consequently the gravitational waves emitted by these systems and discuss about their possible connection with the formation of short gamma ray bursts.