Talks

I will discuss a class of non-compact solutions to the Strominger-Hull system, the first order system of equations for preserving N=1 supersymmetry in heterotic compactifications to four dimensions. The solutions consists of the conifold and its Z2 orbifold with Abelian gauge fields and non-zero three-form flux. The heterotic Bianchi Identity is solved in a large charge limit of the gauge fields, where it is shown that the topological term p1(TX) can be consistently neglected. At large distances, these solutions are locally Ricci-flat. For a given flux, the family of solutions has three real parameters, the size of the pair of two spheres in the IR and the dilaton zero mode. There exists an explicit analytic solution for the decoupled near horizon region where for a given flux, the size of the cycles is frozen and the only parameter is the dilaton zero mode. This near horizon region also has an exactly solvable worldsheet CFT. When one of the two cycles has vanishing size the near horizon region disappears, but a solution on the unorbifolded resolved conifold still exists.

Asymptotically AdS spacetimes with reflecting boundary conditions represent a natural setting for studying superradiant instabilities of rotating or charged black holes. In the first part of this talk, I prove that all asymptotically AdS black holes with ergoregions in dimension d ≥ 4 are linearly unstable to gravitational perturbations. This proof uses the canonical energy method of Hollands and Wald in a WKB limit. In the second part of the talk, I consider a charged Reissner-Nordstrom-AdS black hole---which is superradiantly unstable to charged scalar field perturbations at the linear level---and study the full *nonlinear* evolution of the instability. In this special case, the instability occurs even for spherically symmetric perturbations, which simplifies the analysis and allows for the use of numerical general relativity simulations. Our results show that nonlinear backreaction causes the black hole to lose charge and mass to the scalar field as the instability proceeds. Eventually, higher scalar field harmonics become nonsuperradiant, and they are reabsorbed into the black hole. The final state is described by a “hairy” black hole, surrounded by a scalar condensate in the fundamental (lowest) mode. I discuss implications of this work on the original problem of the rotating black hole superradiant instability.

The kinetic Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect is a direct probe of the distribution and velocity of electrons on cosmological scales.  Recent progress in Cosmic Microwave Background observations allow statistical detections of this subtle effect originating from a number of different tracers populations.  In my talk, I will review the observational status, highlight the consequences for astrophysics and cosmology and discuss future directions.

This is a joint work with A.Kuznetsov and L.Rybnikov.

We study a moduli problem on a nodal curve of arithmetic genus 1, whose solution is an open subscheme in the zastava space for projective line. This moduli space is equipped with a natural Poisson structure, and we compute it in a natural coordinate system. We compare this Poisson structure with the trigonometric Poisson structure on the transversal slices in an affine flag variety.

We conjecture that certain generalized minors give rise to a cluster structure on the trigonometric zastava.