A no-go theorem for parity-violation in even $D$-dimensional spacetimes invariant under $ISO(d)$ and dilatations (as well as the implications for odd $D$) is derived. For the case of real massless scalar and gravitons (as well as any massless even integer spin-$s$ field) at $\mathcal{I}^+$, the reality of wavefunction coefficients in Fourier space to all orders in perturbation theory (any order in loops) coming from a local, unitary, IR- and UV-finite theory, which start from the initial \CRT-invariant Bunch-Davies state in the infinite past, is proven. From this it is inferred that a parity-odd correlator with any massless scalar fields and even integer spin-$s$ fields vanishes in the presence of any number of interactions of massless fields. The same is true for correlators with an even number of conformally-coupled and massless odd integer spin-$s$ external fields, which is used to derive the cosmological analogue of Furry's theorem. The fundamental implications of \CRT symmetry for theories with chemical potentials, such as Chern-Simons and Axion inflation, is also discussed. Given the recent interest in parity-violation coming from observational claims of parity-violation detection, these results provide clear constraints on parity-violating models of inflation and establish the measurement of any parity-odd correlator as an exceptionally sensitive probe of new physics beyond vanilla inflation.

We demonstrate that holographic entanglement entropy (HEE) serves as a powerful diagnostic tool for both static and dynamical critical phenomena in the Einstein-Born-Infeld-Scalar (EBIS) model. While HEE is well-known for capturing static phase transitions, we reveal its novel ability to probe dynamical criticality, particularly the ''flip'' phenomenon-a sign inversion in the scalar field at a critical point. Near the flip, HEE exhibits relaxation dynamics that closely mirror those of the scalar field, with both relaxation times scaling logarithmically with the distance from the critical point. This intimate connection between the relaxation of HEE and the scalar field highlights HEE as a sensitive probe of dynamical critical phenomena. Our findings provide new insights into the interplay between quantum information and gravitational dynamics, offering a deeper understanding of critical behavior in strongly coupled systems.

We show that chiral higher-spin gravity with a vanishing cosmological constant admits a class of exact self-dual pp-wave solutions derived from harmonic scalar functions and two principal spinors. These solutions satisfy both the linear and non-linear equations of motion, as they annihilate all higher-order vertices, leading to the equations of motion for free fields on a self-dual background sourced by a positive-helicity spin-2 field. Our method employs a simple light-cone ansatz for positive-helicity chiral higher-spin fields, along with a modified Kerr-Schild ansatz adapted for the self-dual gravity framework.

We verify a recently derived equations relating the renormalization group running of two gauge couplings in ${\cal N}=1$ SQCD+SQED by the explicit three-loop calculation. It is demonstrated that these equations are really valid in the HD+MSL scheme. In other words, if a theory is regularized by higher covariant derivatives and the renormalization is made by minimal subtractions of logarithms, the analogs of the strong and electromagnetic gauge couplings do not run independently. However, in the $\overline{\mbox{DR}}$ scheme the considered equations do not hold starting from the three-loop order, where the scheme dependence becomes essential. Therefore, they are valid only for a certain set of the renormalization prescriptions. We prove that all of them can be obtained from the HD+MSL scheme by finite renormalizations which satisfy a special constraint and illustrate how this works in the three-loop approximation.

As was shown in arXiv:2303.15207, the leading large $N$, fixed $k$ correction in the localization result for the expectation value of the $\frac{1}{2}$-BPS circular Wilson loop in $U(N)_{k}\times U(N)_{-k}$ ABJM theory given by the $(\sin\frac{2\pi}{ k})^{-1}$ factor can be reproduced on the dual M-theory side as the one-loop correction in the partition function of an M2 brane in AdS$_{4}\times S^{7}/\mathbb{Z}_{k}$ with AdS$_{2}\times S^{1}$ world volume. Here we prove, following the suggestion in arXiv:2408.10070, that the analogous fact is true also for the corresponding correction $B_1=-\frac{1}{2\pi k}\cot\frac{2\pi}{k}$ in the localization result for the Bremsstrahlung function associated with the Wilson line with a small cusp in either AdS$_4$ or $\rm CP^3$. The corresponding M2 brane is wrapped on the 11d circle and generalizes the type IIA string solution in AdS$_{4}\times \rm CP^3$ ending on the cusped line. We show that the one-loop term in the M2 brane partition function reproduces the localization expression for $B_1$ as the coefficient of the leading term in its small cusp expansion.

We present a novel framework for deriving integral constraints for correlators on conformal line defects. These constraints emerge from the non-linearly realized ambient-space conformal symmetry. To validate our approach, we examine several examples and compare them against existing data for the four-point function of the displacement operator. Additionally, we provide a few new predictions that extend the current understanding of these correlators.

The status of the two-point connected correlator is holographically probed by using the well-known prescription of holographic mutual information. In particular, we calculate the two-point connected correlator for a specific bulk spacetime geometry which was not done explicitly earlier. We then carefully study the inequality between the mutual information and the two-point connected correlator, namely, $I(A:B)\ge\frac{(\expval{\mathcal{O}_{A}\mathcal{O}_{B}}-\expval{\mathcal{O}_{A}}\expval{\mathcal{O}_{B}})^2}{2\expval{\mathcal{O}_{A}^2}\expval{\mathcal{O}_{B}^2}}$. We observe that by considering the standard set up of two strip-like subsystems which are separated by a distance, one can show that there exists two critical separation distances, namely, $sT|_c$ and $sT|_I$ depicting the vanishing of quantum dependencies and classical dependencies between the subsystems respectively. We also make a proposal in this context.

In this work, we present a new geometric transition in non-compact Calabi-Yau 4-folds, specifically for the cone over the 7d Sasaki-Einstein manifold $Q^{\scriptscriptstyle(1,1,1)}/\mathbb{Z}_{N}$. We discover a new smoothing of such Calabi-Yau 4-fold singularity via a partial resolution+deformation, which can be interpreted as a confined phase for a 3d $\mathcal{N}=2$ $SU(N)$ gauge theory. The confining strings are realized as M2-branes wrapping the torsional 1-cycles in this new geometric phase. We have also computed the generalized global symmetries and SymTFT action using the link topology and intersection numbers of the resolved Calabi-Yau 4-fold.

We revisit the gravitational boundary action at null infinity of asymptotically flat spacetimes. We fix the corner ambiguities in the boundary action by using the constraint that (exponential of) the on-shell action leads to tree-level 5-point amplitude in eikonal approximation in a generic supertranslated vacuum. The subleading soft graviton theorem follows naturally from the on-shell action when the BMS group is extended to include superrotations. We also show that an infinite tower of soft theorems can be derived from the on-shell action if we consider a 'generalization' of the Geroch tensor by including a set of divergence-free symmetric traceless tensors on the sphere.

Combining toric geometry techniques and $\mathcal{N}=2$ supergravity formalisms, we study 5D black branes in the M-theory compactification on a four parameter Calabi-Yau threefold. First, we investigate 5D BPS and non-BPS black holes that are derived by wrapping M2-branes on non-holomorphic 2-cycles in such a toric Calabi-Yau manifold. Concretely, we provide the allowed electric charge regions of BPS and non-BPS black hole states that are obtained by surrounding M2-branes over appropriate 2-cycles. Then, we approach the black hole thermodynamic behavior by computing the entropy and the temperature. By evaluating the recombination factor, we examine the stability of such non-BPS black holes. Precisely, we find stable and unstable solutions depending on the allowed electric charge regions. After that, we study 5D black strings by wrapping M5-branes on non-holomorphic dual 4-cycles in the proposed toric Calabi-Yau manifold by focusing on the stability behaviors. In the allowed regions of the moduli space of the non-BPS stringy solutions, we find stable and unstable states depending on the magnetic charge values.

In this paper,we extend the definition of the Chern-Simons type characteristic classes in the continuous case to abelian lattice gauge theory. Then, we show that the exterior differential of a k-th Chern-Simons type characteristic class is exactly equal to the coboundary of the cochain of the (k-1)-th Chern-Simons type characteristic classes based upon the noncommutative differential calculus on the lattice.

We study the ground states of CFTs with a global $U(1)$ symmetry on $\mathbb{R}\times S^2$ in the regime of large charge $Q$ and large angular momentum $J$, using large charge EFT. We find that in the range $Q \ll J \ll Q^2$, the ground state solution is a superfluid densely populated with vortices rotating at a constant angular velocity $\Omega$. This is a relativistic generalization of the known (non-relativistic) rigid rotation phase, which corresponds to the small $\Omega$ limit of our solution. In the regime $Q^{3/2}\ll J\ll Q^2$, our solution achieves lower energy than previously identified states. In this regime, most of the vortices move near the speed of light, and we obtain the chiral fluctuation modes propagating at the speed of light. Interestingly, we find that our ground state can be interpreted as a zero temperature charged normal fluid rotating at a constant angular velocity $\Omega$. We rederive this solution purely from the fluid dynamics. Based on the (already established) applicability of fluid description to large non-supersymmetric extremal AdS black holes, we find that the boundary stress tensor and $U(1)$ current of extremal AdS Kerr-Newman black hole align with those of our solution.

Understanding how an isolated quantum system evolves toward a thermal state from an initial state far from equilibrium such as one prepared by a global quantum quench has attracted significant interest in recent years. This phenomenon can be elucidated through the Eigenstate Thermalization Hypothesis (ETH), which has had a profound impact across various fields, from high-energy physics to condensed matter physics. The purpose of this review article is to present the fundamental concepts of quantum equilibrium and the ETH to a broad audience within the physics community, particularly for those in high-energy physics who seek a comprehensive understanding of these important topics.

In this paper, we explore the $\mathbb{Z}_2^n$-graded Lie (super)algebras as novel possible generators of symmetries of $S$-matrix. As the results, we demonstrate that a $\mathbb{Z}_2^n$-graded extension of the supersymmetric algebra can be a symmetry of $S$-matrix. Furthermore, it turns out that a $\mathbb{Z}_2^n$-graded Lie algebra appears as internal symmetries. They are natural extensions of Coleman-Mandula theorem and Haag-Lopszanski-Sohnius theorem, which are the no-go theorems for generators of symmetries of $S$-matrix.

If a set of charged objects collide in space and the fragments disperse, then this process will emit electromagnetic waves. Classical soft photon theorem determines the constant term and the leading power law fall-off of the wave-form at late and early times in terms of only the momenta and charges of the incoming and outgoing objects. In this paper we determine an infinite set of subleading terms in the late and early time expansion of the wave-form, which also depend only on the momenta and charges of the incoming and outgoing particles. For two-particle scattering, we derive a resummed low-frequency electromagnetic wave-form, as well as the resummed wave-form at early and late times. In this analysis we ignore the effect of long range gravitational interaction, but our result is unaffected by any other short range interactions among the objects.

A recent proposal reinterprets the eikonal as the scattering generator, which computes scattering observables through an action as a symmetry generator. The aim of this study is to incorporate dissipative effects from radiation into this framework, where the eikonal is generalised to the radiation eikonal by including mediator field degrees of freedom. The proposed generalisation is tested through several post-Minkowskian scattering observables; scattering waveform, radiated momentum, and (time asymmetric) radiation loss in the impulse.

In this letter we continue the investigation of RG flows between minimal models that are protected by non-invertible symmetries. RG flows leaving unbroken a subcategory of non-invertible symmetries are associated with anomaly-matching conditions that we employ systematically to map the space of flows between Virasoro Minimal models beyond the $\mathbb{Z}_2$-symmetric proposed recently in the literature. We introduce a family of non-linear integral equations that appear to encode the exact finite-size, ground-state energies of these flows, including non-integrable cases, such as the recently proposed $\mathcal{M}(k q + I,q) \to \mathcal{M}(k q - I,q)$. Our family of NLIEs encompasses and generalises the integrable flows known in the literature: $\phi_{(1,3)}$, $\phi_{(1,5)}$, $\phi_{(1,2)}$ and $\phi_{(2,1)}$. This work uncovers a new interplay between exact solvability and non-invertible symmetries. Furthermore, our non-perturbative description provides a non-trivial test for all the flows conjectured by anomaly matching conditions, but so far not-observed by other means.

Classical studies as the conservation laws and the radiation fields are investigated in the pseudo-electrodynamics. We explore the action symmetry under infinitesimal transformations to obtain the energy-momentum, the Belinfante-Rosenfeld, and the general angular momentum tensors for this nonlocal planar electrodynamics. Through the results such as the retarded potentials and fields generated by a point particle in an arbitrary motion, we study the radiation of an electric dipole and it radiated power in 1+2 dimensions. In addition, we propose a way to introduce magnetic monopoles in pseudo-electrodynamics, in which the solutions and conservation laws are also presented.

We study the boundary extraordinary transition of a 3D tricritical $O(N)$ model. We first compute the mean-field Green's function with a general coupling of $|\vec \phi|^{2n}$ (with $n=3$ corresponding to the tricritical point) at the extraordinary phase transition. Then, by employing the technique of layer susceptibility, we solve the boundary operator expansion using the $\epsilon=3 - d$ expansion. Based on these results, we demonstrate that the tricritical point exhibits an extraordinary transition characterized by an ordered boundary for any $N$. This provides the first nontrivial example of continuous symmetry breaking in 2D dimensions in the context of boundary criticality.

We calculate the probability distribution $P({\bf k})$ for a heavy quark with velocity $v$ propagating through strongly coupled $\mathcal{N}=4$ SYM plasma in the 't Hooft limit at a temperature $T$ to acquire a momentum ${\bf k}$ due to interactions with the plasma. This distribution encodes the well-known drag coefficient $\eta_D$ and the transverse and longitudinal momentum diffusion coefficients $\kappa_T$ and $\kappa_L$. Furthermore, our calculation determines all of the higher order and mixed moments to leading order in $1/\sqrt{\lambda}$ for the first time. These non-Gaussian features of $P({\bf k})$ include qualitatively novel correlations between longitudinal energy loss and transverse momentum broadening at nonzero $v$. We demonstrate that these non-Gaussian characteristics can be sizable in magnitude and even dominant in physically relevant situations. We use these results to derive a Kolmogorov equation for the evolution of the probability distribution for the total momentum of a heavy quark that propagates through strongly coupled plasma. This evolution equation accounts for all higher order correlations between transverse momentum broadening and longitudinal energy loss, which we have calculated from first principles. It reduces to a Fokker-Planck (FP) equation when truncated to only include the effects of $\eta_D$, $\kappa_T$ and $\kappa_L$. Remarkably, while heavy quarks do not reach kinetic equilibrium with the plasma if evolved with this FP equation, we demonstrate that heavy quarks do reach kinetic equilibrium if evolved with the all-order Kolmogorov equation we have derived. Our results thus provide a dynamically complete framework for understanding the thermalization of a heavy quark that may be initially far from equilibrium in the strongly coupled $\mathcal{N}=4$ SYM plasma -- as well as new insight into heavy quark transport and equilibration in quark-gluon plasma.

We explore the impact of the back-reaction of evaporation on the quantum state of Primordial Black Holes (PBHs), known as ``memory burden", on the baryon asymmetry production in the Universe through high-scale leptogenesis. Focusing on PBH masses ranging from 1 to 1000 grams, we investigate the interplay between the non-thermal production of heavy sterile neutrinos and the entropy injection within this non-standard cosmological framework. By assuming appropriate values for the memory-burden parameters, $q=1/2$ and $k=1$, we derive mutual exclusion limits between PBHs and thermal leptogenesis in the mixed parameter space. Our analysis reveals that the primary contribution of PBHs to baryon asymmetry stems from entropy injection. Indeed, we find that, differently from earlier studies based on the semi-classical Hawking evaporation, the memory-burden effect suppresses the non-thermal source term in the PBH mass range explored. This has significant implications for understanding baryogenesis in such alternative cosmological scenarios.

We present the first constraints on primordial magnetic fields from the Lyman-$\alpha$ forest using full cosmological hydrodynamic simulations. At the scales and redshifts probed by the data, the flux power spectrum is extremely sensitive to the extra power induced by primordial magnetic fields in the linear matter power spectrum, at a scale that we parametrize with $k_{\rm peak}$. We rely on a set of more than a quarter million flux models obtained by varying thermal, reionization histories and cosmological parameters. We find a hint of extra power that is well fitted by the PMF model with $B\sim 0.2$ nG, corresponding to $k_{\rm peak}\sim 20$ Mpc$^{-1}$. However, when applying very conservative assumptions on the modelling of the noise, we obtain a 3$\sigma$ C.L. lower limit $k_{\rm peak}> 30$ Mpc$^{-1}$ which translates into the tightest bounds on the strength of primordial intergalactic magnetic fields: $B < 0.30$ nG (for fixed, nearly scale-invariant $n_{\rm B}=-2.9$).

In this paper, we studied line operators in the Left-Right Symmetric Model. The gauge group of Left-Right Symmetric Electroweak Model is ${G} = SU(3) \times SU(2)_{L} \times SU(2)_{R} \times U(1)_{B - L}$. We derived the spectrum of line operators in all possible scenarios within left-right symmetric models. We then studied the $\theta$ angles in left-right symmetric model. We also discuss the effect of symmetry breaking on the spectrum of line operators and $\theta$ angles.

Alexei Alexandrovich Starobinsky was outstanding theoretical physicist who made fundamental contributions to gravitational theory and cosmology, based on geometrical ideas in physics, in the spirit of Einstein. One of his greatest achievements is the famous Starobinsky model of cosmological inflation in the early universe, proposed in 1979-1980. In this paper, the Starobinsky inflation model is systematically reviewed from the modern perspective. Its deformation to include production of primordial black holes is proposed, and possible quantum corrections in the context of superstring theory and the Swampland Program are discussed. Starobinsky inflation also leads to the universal reheating mechanism for particle production after inflation.

2-Chern-Simons theory, or more commonly known as 4d BF-BB theory with gauged shift symmetry, is a natural generalization of Chern-Simons theory to 4-dimensional manifolds. It is part of the bestiary of higher-homotopy Maurer-Cartan theories. In this article, we present a framework towards the combinatorial quantization of 2-Chern-Simons theory on the lattice, taking inspiration from the work of Aleskeev-Grosse-Schomerus three decades ago. The central geometric input is the 2-truncation $\Gamma^2$ of the $\infty$-groupoid of simplices formed by the underlying lattice $\Gamma$. On such a "2-graph", we model states of 2-Chern-Simons holonomies as Crane-Yetter's \textit{measureable fields}. We show that the 2-Chern-Simons action endows the 2-graph states -- as well as their quantum 2-gauge symmetries -- the structure of a Hopf category, and that their associated higher $R$-matriex gives it a comonoidal {\it cobraiding} structure. This is an explicit realization of the categorical ladder proposal of Baez-Dolan, in the context of Lie group lattice 2-gauge theories. Moreover, we will also analyze the lattice 2-algebra on the graph $\Gamma$, and extract the observables of discrete 2-Chern-Simons theory from it.

The so-called Geometric Trinity of Gravity includes General Relativity (GR), based on spacetime curvature; the Teleparallel Equivalent of GR (TEGR), which relies on spacetime torsion; and the Symmetric Teleparallel Equivalent of GR (STEGR), grounded in nonmetricity. Recent studies demonstrate that GR, TEGR, and STEGR are dynamically equivalent, raising questions about the fundamental structure of spacetime, the under-determination of these theories, and whether empirical distinctions among them are possible. The aim of this work is to show that they are equivalent in many features but not exactly in everything. In particular, their relationship with the Equivalence Principle (EP) is different. The EP is a deeply theory-laden assumption, which is assumed as fundamental in constructing GR, with significant implications for our understanding of spacetime. However, it introduces unresolved conceptual issues, including its impact on the nature of the metric and connection, its meaning at the quantum level, tensions with other fundamental interactions and new physics, and its role in dark matter and dark energy problems. In contrast, TEGR and STEGR recover the EP but do not rely on it as a foundational principle. The fact that GR, TEGR, and STEGR are equivalent in non-trivial predictions, but the EP is not necessary for TEGR and STEGR, suggests that it may not be a fundamental feature but an emergent one, potentially marking differences in the empirical content of the three theories. Thus, the developments within the Geometric Trinity framework challenge traditional assumptions about spacetime and may help to better understand some of the unresolved foundational difficulties related to the EP.

These are the notes on two-dimensional conformal field theory, based on a lecture course for graduate math students, given by P.M. in fall 2022 at the University of Notre Dame. These notes are intended to be substantially reworked and expanded in coauthorship with Nicolai Reshetikhin.

We study the imaging of a hairy black hole (HBH) in the Einstein-Klein-Gordon theory, where Einstein gravity is minimally coupled to a scalar potential $V(\phi)=-\Lambda \phi^4 + \mu \phi^2$ with $\Lambda$ and $\mu$ are constants. As a consequence, a nontrivial scalar field at the event horizon $\phi_H$ allows the HBH to evade the no-hair theorem, bifurcate from the Schwarzschild black hole by acquiring some new properties, which can affect the shadow of the HBH received by a distant observer. The framework of ray-tracing is adopted to investigate the optical appearance of the HBH, thus the trajectories of light rays around the HBH can be classified into three emissions: direct, lensed and photon ring. Employing three models of optically and geometrically thin accretion disk, we compare the differences between the Schwarzschild black hole and HBH with same horizon radius in a specific model, and find that the size of the shadow and accretion disk increases as $\phi_H$ increases, but the brightness of the rings remain nearly unaffected, this implies our HBH can potentially mimic the Schwarzschild black hole if we vary the horizon radius of the HBH. Finally, we also constraint the parameter $\Lambda$ from the observations of supermassive black holes in the galactic center of M87 and Sgr A$^{*}$, which could offer new insights for imaging of black holes and astrophysical observations.

We propose a relativistic model of spontaneous wave-function collapse, based on a random nonHermitian action where the fermion density operator is coupled to a universal colored noise. Upon quantization, the wave function obeys a nonlinear stochastic differential equation that respects statistical Lorentz symmetry. The localization mechanism is driven by the colored noise, derived from the d'Alembert equation using generalized stochastic calculus in 1+3-dimensional spacetime. We analytically determine the noise-induced localization length, which decreases as the size of the observable universe increases.

We investigate the structural and observable impacts of dark matter (DM) on neutron stars using a combined equation of state that integrates the relativistic mean field (RMF) model for baryonic matter with a variable density profile for DM, incorporating DM-baryon interactions mediated by the Higgs field. Employing three RMF parameter sets (NL3, BigApple, and IOPB-I) for baryonic matter, we analyze mass-radius relations, maximum mass, and tidal deformability, focusing on DM density scaling ($\alpha$) and steepness ($\beta$) parameters. Our findings reveal that increased DM concentration significantly enhances NS compactness, shifting mass-radius profiles and reducing tidal deformability. The DM influence strongly depends on the steepness of the DM density profile, where high $\beta$ values lead to strongly confined DM within the NS core, resulting in more compact and less deformable configurations. Observational constraints from PSR J0740+6620 and GW170817 impose consistent structural limits on DM fractions across different equations of state models, narrowing the allowable parameter space for DM and linking specific combinations of $\alpha M_{\chi}$ ($M_{\chi}$ being the mass of dark matter particle) and $\beta$ values to viable NS structures. This study highlights the interplay among DM concentration, nuclear stiffness, and observational data in shaping NS structure, offering insights into future constraints on DM in high-density astrophysical environments.

Machine learning is rapidly making its path into natural sciences, including high-energy physics. We present the first study that infers, directly from experimental data, a functional form of fragmentation functions. The latter represent a key ingredient to describe physical observables measured in high-energy physics processes that involve hadron production, and predict their values at different energy. Fragmentation functions can not be calculated in theory and have to be determined instead from data. Traditional approaches rely on global fits of experimental data using a pre-assumed functional form inspired from phenomenological models to learn its parameters. This novel approach uses a ML technique, namely symbolic regression, to learn an analytical model from measured charged hadron multiplicities. The function learned by symbolic regression resembles the Lund string function and describes the data well, thus representing a potential candidate for use in global FFs fits. This study represents an approach to follow in such QCD-related phenomenology studies and more generally in sciences.

In this study, we investigate the impact of electromagnetic fields, highlighting the dominant effect of electric fields on the splitting of elliptic flow, \( \Delta v_2 \) with transverse momentum ($p_T$). The velocity and temperature profiles of quark-gluon plasma (QGP) is described through thermal model calculations. The electromagnetic field evolution is however determined from the solutions of Maxwell's equations, assuming constant electric and chiral conductivities. We find that the slower decay of the electric fields compared to the magnetic fields makes its impact on the splitting of the elliptic flow more dominant. We further estimated that the maximum value of \( |\langle eF \rangle| \), evaluated by averaging the field values over all spatial points on the hypersurface and across all field components, is approximately \( (0.010003 \pm 0.000195) \, m_{\pi}^2 \) for \( \sqrt{s_{\text{NN}}} = 7.7 \, \text{GeV} \), which could describe the splitting of elliptic flow data within the current experimental uncertainty reasonably well.

Throughout this paper, we comprehensively study instantons with every kind of continuous conformal symmetry. Examples of these objects are hard to come by due to non-linear constraints. However, by applying previous work on moduli spaces, we introduce a linear constraint, whose solution greatly simplifies these non-linear constraints. This simplification not only allows us to easily find a plethora of novel instantons with various continuous conformal symmetries and higher rank structure groups, it also provides a framework for classifying such symmetric objects. We also prove that the basic instanton is essentially the only instanton with two particular kinds of conformal symmetry. Additionally, we discuss the connections between instantons with continuous symmetries and other gauge-theoretic objects: hyperbolic and singular monopoles as well as hyperbolic analogues to Higgs bundles and Nahm data.

Gravitational-wave memory effects are lasting changes in the strain and its time integrals. They can be computed in asymptotically flat spacetimes using the conservation and evolution equations in the Bondi-Sachs framework. Modified theories of gravity have additional degrees of freedom with their own asymptotic evolution equations; these additional fields can produce differences in the memory effects in these theories from those in general relativity. In this work, we study a scalar-tensor theory of gravity known as the Damour-Esposito-Far\`ese extension of Brans-Dicke theory. We use the Bondi-Sachs framework to compute the field equations in Bondi-Sachs form, the asymptotically flat solutions, and the leading gravitational-wave memory effects. Although Damour-Esposito-Far\`ese theory has additional nonlinearities not present in Brans-Dicke theory, these nonlinearities are subleading effects; thus, the two theories share many similarities in the leading (and some subleading) solutions to hypersurface equations, asymptotic symmetries, and types of memory effects. The conservation equations for the mass and angular momentum aspects differ between the two theories, primarily because of the differences in the evolution equation for the scalar field. This leads to differences in the time dependence of the gravitational-wave memory signals that are produced during the quasicircular inspiral of compact binaries. These differences, however, are of second-order in a small coupling parameter of these theories, which suggests that it would be challenging to use memory effects to distinguish between these two theories.

Feynman integrals are very often computed from their differential equations. It is not uncommon that the $\varepsilon$-factorised differential equation contains only dlog-forms with algebraic arguments, where the algebraic part is given by (multiple) square roots. It is well-known that if all square roots are simultaneously rationalisable, the Feynman integrals can be expressed in terms of multiple polylogarithms. This is a sufficient, but not a necessary criterium. In this paper we investigate weaker requirements. We discuss under which conditions we may use different rationalisations in different parts of the calculation. In particular we show that we may use different rationalisations if they correspond to different parameterisations of the same integration path. We present a non-trivial example -- the one-loop pentagon function with three adjacent massive external legs involving seven square roots -- where this technique can be used to express the result in terms of multiple polylogarithms.

We construct new classes of the dynamical black hole solutions in five or higher dimensional Einstein-Maxwell theory, coupled to a dilaton field, in the presence of arbitrary cosmological constant. The dilaton field interacts non-trivially with the Maxwell field, as well as the cosmological constant, with two arbitrary coupling constants. The solutions are non-stationary, and almost conformally regular everywhere. To construct the solutions, we use the four-dimensional Bianchi type IX geometry, as the base space. We find three different classes of solutions, based on the values of the coupling constants. We notice that our solutions could be asymptotically de-Sitter, anti-de-Sitter or flat. We find the relevant quantities of the solutions, and discuss the properties of the solutions.

We study a particular system of partial differential equations in which the harmonic, the divergence and the gradient operators of the unknown functions appear (harmonic-divgrad system). Using the Killing Hopf theorem and leveraging the properties of Riemannian manifolds with constant sectional curvature we establish the conditions under which these equations admit only the trivial solutions proving their trivialization on positive curvature space forms. The analysis of this particular system is motivated by its occurrence in the study of asymptotic symmetries in $p$-form gauge theories and in mixed symmetry tensor gauge theories.

As an extension of our previous work [1] (arXiv:2409.02308), we study a complete family of type D black holes with Kerr-like rotation, NUT twist, acceleration, electric and magnetic charges, and any value of the cosmological constant $\Lambda$. We relate various metric forms of these spacetimes, namely those found by Plebanski-Demianski (PD), Griffiths-Podolsky (GP), and most recently Astorino (A). By explicit coordinate transformations and proper identification of the physical parameters we show that these representations are locally equivalent, and cover the entire class of type D solutions of the Einstein-Maxwell-$\Lambda$ equations, such that the (non-null) electromagnetic field is aligned with both the (double-degenerate) principal null directions of the Weyl tensor. In particular, we concentrate on the subclass which describes accelerating NUT black holes without the Kerr-like rotation.