Presented by: Andrei Starinets, Oxford University

Abstract: Heavy ion collision programs at RHIC and LHC and future programs at FAIR and NICA instigated a renewal of theoretical interest in relativistic hydrodynamics as an effective theory. The collisions create hot and dense nuclear matter known as strongly coupled quark-gluon plasma: the parameters of the plasma can be measured with precision, but its theoretical study is hindered by the strong non-perturbative effects of thermal QCD. At the same time, some strongly interacting gauge theories at finite temperature and density can be investigated via the gauge theory - string theory duality, connecting them to classical black holes in higher dimensions. In the talk, we review the current status of this line of research, and reflect on recent advances in our understanding of the gauge theory plasmas in the regime of intermediate coupling provided by dual gravity with higher derivative terms, with an ultimate goal of interpolating between the weak coupling kinetic regime and the strong coupling regime. We also discuss the issue of convergence of the series representing collective excitations of a strongly coupled fluid and the related phenomenon of a black hole quasinormal spectrum level-crossing.

Host: Paul Romatschke

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