We consider self-gravitating Skyrmions in the presence of Dirac fermions, that carry spin and isospin. By varying the gravitational and the Yukawa coupling constants, we investigate the spectral flow of the fermion eigenvalue associated with a zero mode in the absence of gravity. We demonstrate that the backreaction of the fermion can strongly influence the Skyrmion-fermion configurations. In particular, the energy conditions may be violated, and regular anti-gravitating asymptotically flat solutions with negative ADM mass may emerge.

We construct $\mathbb{Z}_N$ orbifolds of the ten-dimensional heterotic string theories appropriate for implementing the stringy replica method for the calculation of quantum entanglement entropy. A novel feature for the heterotic string is that the gauge symmetry must be broken by a Wilson line to ensure modular invariance. We completely classify the patterns of symmetry breaking. We show that the tachyonic contributions in all cases can be analytically continued, with a finite answer in the domain $0<N \leq 1$, relevant for calculating entanglement entropy across the Rindler horizon. We discuss the physical implications of our results.

We show that random matrix models are a natural tool for understanding the appearance of a large gap in the microstate spectrum of black holes when there is a high degeneracy of states, in a variety of settings. While the most natural context is extended supersymmetry, where the number of BPS states scales as ${\rm e}^{S_0}$, where $S_0$ is the $T{=}0$ entropy, it is a robust feature that a large gap will appear whenever there is a mechanism producing a high degree of degeneracy. In random matrix model terms, the phenomenon is simply an extreme case of eigenvalue repulsion in the effective log gas description. We exhibit several examples for illustration, starting with the simple Wishart model, continuing with extensions of it that incorporate multicritical behaviour allowing for the emergence of gravity, and culminating in using such models to non-perturbatively construct ${N}{=}2$ and ${N}{=}4$ JT supergravity theories, the latter of which is new.

Recently considerable efforts have been devoted to computing cosmological correlators and the corresponding wavefunction coefficients, as well as understanding their analytical structures. In this note, we revisit the computation of these ``cosmological amplitudes" associated with any tree or loop graph for conformal scalars with time-dependent interactions in the power-law FRW universe, directly in terms of iterated time integrals. We start by decomposing any such cosmological amplitude (for loop graph, the ``integrand" prior to loop integrations) as a linear combination of {\it basic time integrals}, one for each {\it directed graph}. We derive remarkably simple first-order differential equations involving such time integrals with edges ``contracted" one at a time, which can be solved recursively and the solution takes the form of Euler-Mellin integrals/generalized hypergeometric functions. By combining such equations, we then derive a complete system of differential equations for all time integrals needed for a given graph. Our method works for any graph: for a tree graph with $n$ nodes, this system can be transformed into the {\it canonical differential equations} of size $4^{n{-}1}$ quivalent to the graphic rules derived recently%so-called ``kinematic flow", and we also derive the system of differential equations for loop integrands {\it e.g.} of all-loop two-site graphs and one-loop $n$-gon graphs. Finally, we show how the differential equations truncate for the de Sitter (dS) case (in a way similar to differential equations for Feynman integrals truncate for integer dimensions), which immediately yields the complete symbol for the dS amplitude with interesting structures {\it e.g.} for $n$-site chains and $n$-gon cases.

The relation between two branches of solutions (radiative and subradiative) of wave equations on Minkowski spacetime is investigated, for any integer spin, in flat Bondi coordinates where remarkable simplifications occur and allow for exact boundary-to-bulk formulae. Each branch carries a unitary irreducible representation of the Poincare group, though an exotic one for the subradiative sector. These two branches of solutions are related by an inversion and, together, span a single representation of the conformal group. While radiative modes are realised in the familiar holographic way (either as boundary data at null infinity or as bulk fields with radiative asymptotic behavior), the whole tower of subradiative modes forms an indecomposable representation of the usual Poincare group, which can be encoded into a single boundary field living on an interior null cone. Lorentz transformations are realised in both cases as conformal transformations of the celestial sphere. The vector space of all subradiative modes carries a unitary representation of a group isomorphic to the Poincare group, where bulk conformal boosts play the role of bulk translations.

We study symmetry reductions in the context of Euclidean Chern-Simons gauge theories to obtain lower dimensional field theories. Symmetry reduction in certain gauge theories is a common tool for obtaining explicit soliton solutions. Although pure Chern-Simons theories do not admit solitonic solutions, symmetry reduction still leads to interesting results. We establish relations at the semiclassical regime between pure Chern-Simons theories on $S^3$ and the reduced Quantum Field Theories, based on actions obtained by the symmetry reduction of the Chern-Simons action, spherical symmetry being the prominent one. We also discuss symmetry reductions of Chern-Simons theories on the disk, yielding $BF$-theory in two dimensions, which signals a curious relationship between symmetry reductions and the boundary conformal field theories. Finally, we study the Chern-Simons-Higgs instantons and show that under certain circumstances, the reduced action can formally be viewed as the action of a supersymmetric quantum mechanical model. We discuss the extent to which the reduced actions have a fermionic nature at the level of the partition function.

In the first part of this thesis, we make use of representation theory of groups and algebras to perform an irreducible decomposition of tensors in the context of metric-affine gravity. In particular, we consider the action of the orthogonal group O(1, d$-1$) on the Riemann tensor associated with an affine connection defined on a d-dimensional pseudo-Riemannian manifold. This connection, with torsion and non-metricity, is the characteristic ingredient of metric-affine theories of gravity. In the second part of this thesis, we construct the projection operators used for the aforementioned decomposition. They are realized in terms of the symmetric group algebra $\mathbb{C}\mathfrak{S}_n$ and of the Brauer algebra B$_n$(d) which are related respectively to the action of GL(d,$\mathbb{C}$) (and its real form GL(d,$\mathbb{R}$)) and to the action of O(d,$\mathbb{C}$) (and its real form O(1 , d$-1$)) on tensors via the Schur-Weyl duality. First of all, we give an alternative approach to the known formulas for the central idempotents of $\mathbb{C}\mathfrak{S}_n$. These elements provide a unique reducible decomposition, known as the isotypic decomposition. For our purposes, this decomposition is remarkably handy to arrive at the sought after irreducible decomposition with respect to GL(d,$\mathbb{R}$). Then, we construct the elements in B$_n$(d) which realize the isotypic decomposition of a tensor under the action of O(d,$\mathbb{C}$). This decomposition is irreducible under O(d,$\mathbb{C}$) when applied to an irreducible GL(d,$\mathbb{C}$) tensor of order $5$ or less. As a by product of the construction, we give a solution to the problem of decomposing an arbitrary tensor into its traceless part, doubly traceless part and so on. These results led to the development of several Mathematica packages linked to the \textit{xAct} bundle for tensor calculus in field theory.

We study the anomalies of two-dimensional BPS defects in six-dimensional $\mathcal{N}=(1,0)$ superconformal field theories. Using a holographic description of these defects furnished by probe D4-branes in AdS${}_7$ solutions of ten-dimensional type IIA supergravity, we compute the two independent defect Weyl from the on-shell action for a spherical defect and defect sphere entanglement entropy. We find agreement between the holographic prediction for the defect A-type anomaly coming from the defect sphere free energy and the leading large $N$ contribution to the defect `t Hooft anomaly found using anomaly inflow. We also find agreement between the holographic computation of the expectation value of a surface operator wrapping a torus and the supersymmetric localization computation for a circular Wilson loop in $\mathcal{N}=1$ super Yang-Mills theory on $S^5$. Lastly, we holographically compute the defect gravitational anomaly from the Wess-Zumino action of the probe D4-brane, which provides a subleading large $N$ correction to the defect A-type anomaly.

The Weyl double copy is a relationship between classical solutions in gauge and gravity theories, and has previously been applied to vacuum solutions in both General Relativity and its generalisations. There have also been suggestions that the Weyl double copy should extend to solutions with non-trivial sources. In this paper, we provide a systematic derivation of sourced Weyl double copy formulae, using spinorial methods previously established for ${\cal N}=0$ supergravity. As a cross-check, we rederive the same formulae using a tensorial approach, which then allows us to extend our arguments to sources containing arbitrary powers of the inverse radial coordinate. We also generalise our results to include the Kerr-Newman black hole, clarifying previous alternative double copy formulae presented in the literature. Our results extend the validity of the Weyl double copy, and may be useful for further astrophysical applications of this correspondence.

We re-examine the nonperturbative curvature properties of two-dimensional Euclidean quantum gravity, obtained as the scaling limit of a path integral over dynamical triangulations of a two-sphere, which lies in the same universality class as Liouville quantum gravity. The diffeomorphism-invariant observable that allows us to compare the averaged curvature of highly quantum-fluctuating geometries with that of classical spaces is the so-called curvature profile. A Monte Carlo analysis on three geometric ensembles, which are physically equivalent but differ by the inclusion of local degeneracies, leads to new insights on the influence of finite-size effects. After eliminating them, we find strong evidence that the curvature profile of 2D Euclidean quantum gravity is best matched by that of a classical round four-sphere, rather than the five-sphere found in previous work. Our analysis suggests the existence of a well-defined quantum Ricci curvature in the scaling limit.

We present a new exact solution for a general non-BPS black ring in the bosonic sector of five-dimensional minimal supergravity. This obtained solution carries four independent conserved charges: the mass, two angular momenta, an electric charge, and an additional dipole charge related to other charges. By employing the Ehlers-Harrison transformation, we derive this solution by transforming a five-dimensional vacuum solution into a charged solution in the theory. Previously, our work produced a vacuum doubly rotating black ring solution possessing a Dirac-Misner string singularity by using the Ehlers transformation. In this study, we use the singular black ring as the seed for the Harrison transformation. The resultant solution exhibits regularity, free from curvature singularities, conical singularities, orbifold singularities, Dirac-Misner string singularities, and closed timelike curves both on and outside the horizon. We show that within a specific parameter range, the black ring presents two branches for the same mass, two angular momenta and electric charge but these are distinguished by a dipole charge, which exhibits discontinuous non-uniqueness. Furthermore, this newly obtained black ring seamlessly connects to various physically significant solutions, such as the Pomeransky-Sen'kov black ring, the extremal black ring, the supersymmetric black ring, and the charged singly-spinning black ring.

We construct the analogue of the Dirac-Born-Infeld (DBI) action in Weyl conformal geometry in $d$ dimensions to obtain a Weyl gauge invariant theory. For $d=4$, in a leading order expansion the DBI action becomes the general Weyl quadratic gravity action associated to this geometry, that has the same gauge symmetry; this is broken spontaneously and Einstein-Hilbert gravity is recovered in the broken phase, with $\Lambda>0$. The series expansion of the DBI action also contains additional non-polynomial terms that can be generated at quantum level in Weyl quadratic gravity in $d=4$, by a regularisation that respects this gauge symmetry. Such a regularisation is automatically provided by the DBI action in $d$ dimensions. If the Weyl gauge boson of dilatations is `pure gauge', the DBI action recovers in the leading order the conformal gravity action plus a locally Weyl invariant dilaton action. All fields are of geometric origin, with no added matter or compensating Weyl scalars, etc. The calculation is done in a Weyl {\it gauge covariant} and {\it metric} formulation of Weyl conformal geometry in $d$ dimensions.

In this paper, we generalize the correspondence between large $D$ gravity and low $D$ string theory to the most general case, including its T-dual solutions. It is well-known that the large $D$ limit of the Schwarzschild-Tangherlini black hole in gravity becomes a two-dimensional near-horizon geometry. Similarly, the large $D$ limit of its T-dual solution, obtained by the Buscher rules, namely the string black hole with a naked singularity, reduces to a two-dimensional near-singularity geometry. Both of these geometries are described by the two-dimensional low-energy effective action of string theory and are related to each other by scale-factor duality. Secondly, we demonstrate that these near-horizon/singuglarity geometries, including complete $\alpha^{\prime}$ corrections, can be described by the two-dimensional Hohm-Zwiebach action. This approach allows for the derivation of non-perturbative and non-singular solutions. Furthermore, the Hohm-Zwiebach action provides a systematic way to investigate the $\alpha^{\prime}$-corrected near-horizon/singularity geometries of different kinds of black holes, which are difficult to achieve through the Wess-Zumino-Witten (WZW) model method.

We calculate the third order out-of-time-order correlator (OTOC) of a simple harmonic oscillator with extra quartic interaction by the second quantization method. We obtain the analytic relations of spectrum, Fock space states and matrix elements of coordinate which are then used to numerically calculate the OTOC. We see that OTOC saturates to a constant value at later times, i.e. $C_T(\infty)\to 2\langle x^2\rangle_T\langle p^2\rangle_T$, which associates with quantum chaotic behavior in systems that exhibit chaos. We analyze early-time property of $C_T$ and see that the exponential growth, which diagnoses the chaos, is shown in the third-order perturbation.

A large primordial lepton asymmetry can lead to successful baryogenesis by preventing the restoration of electroweak symmetry at high temperatures, thereby suppressing the sphaleron rate. This asymmetry can also lead to a first-order cosmic QCD transition, accompanied by detectable gravitational wave (GW) signals. By employing next-to-leading order dimensional reduction we determine that the necessary lepton asymmetry is approximately one order of magnitude smaller than previously estimated. Incorporating an updated QCD equation of state that harmonizes lattice and functional QCD outcomes, we pinpoint the range of lepton flavor asymmetries capable of inducing a first-order cosmic QCD transition. To maintain consistency with observational constraints from the Cosmic Microwave Background and Big Bang Nucleosynthesis, achieving the correct baryon asymmetry requires entropy dilution by approximately a factor of ten. However, the first-order QCD transition itself can occur independently of entropy dilution. We propose that the sphaleron freeze-in mechanism can be investigated through forthcoming GW experiments such as $\mu$Ares.

R-parity can be extended to a continuous global U(1)${}_R$ symmetry. We investigate whether an anomalous U(1)${}_R$ can be identified as the PQ symmetry suitable for solving the strong CP problem within supersymmetric extensions of the Standard Model. In this case, U(1)${}_R$ is broken at some intermediate scale and the QCD axion is the R-axion. Moreover, the R-symmetry can be naturally gauged via the Green-Schwartz mechanism within completions to supergravity, thus evading the axion quality problem. Obstacles to realizing this scenario are highlighted and phenomenologically viable approaches are identified.

Neutron stars are powerful probes into the extremes of physics. In this chapter, we will discuss how observations of neutron stars, either in isolation or in binaries, can be leveraged to test general relativity and constrain competing theories of gravity.

We mathematically show an equality between the index of a Dirac operator on a flat continuum torus and the $\eta$ invariant of the Wilson Dirac operator with a negative mass when the lattice spacing is sufficiently small. Unlike the standard approach, our formulation using $K$-theory does not require the Ginsparg-Wilson relation or the modified chiral symmetry on the lattice. We prove that a one-parameter family of continuum massive Dirac operators and the corresponding Wilson Dirac operators belong to the same equivalence class of the $K^1$ group at a finite lattice spacing. Their indices, which are evaluated by the spectral flow or equivalently by the $\eta$ invariant at finite masses, are proved to be equal.

Quantum cosmology aims at elucidating the beginning of our Universe. Back in early 80's, Vilenkin and Hartle-Hawking put forward the "tunneling from nothing'' and "no boundary'' proposals. Recently there has been renewed interest in this subject from the viewpoint of defining the oscillating path integral for Lorentzian quantum gravity using the Picard-Lefschetz theory. Aiming at going beyond the mini-superspace and saddle-point approximations, we perform Monte Carlo calculations using the generalized Lefschetz thimble method to overcome the sign problem. In particular, we confirm that either Vilenkin or Hartle-Hawking saddle point becomes relevant if one uses the Robin boundary condition depending on its parameter. We also clarify some fundamental issues in quantum cosmology, such as an issue related to the integration domain of the lapse function and an issue related to reading off the real geometry from the complex geometry obtained at the saddle point.

The emergence of the Ultra-Diffuse Galaxies in recent years has posed a severe challenge to the galaxy formation models as well as the Extended Theories of Gravity. The existence of both dark matter lacking and dark matter dominated systems within the same family of astrophysical objects indeed requires the gravity models to be versatile enough to describe very different gravitational regimes. In this work, we study a non-local extension of the theory of General Relativity that has drawn increasing attention in recent years due to its capability to account for the late time cosmic acceleration without introducing any dark energy fluid. We leverage the kinematic data of three Ultra-Diffuse Galaxies: NGC 1052-DF2 and NGC 1052-DF4, which are dark matter lacking, and Dragonfly 44, which exhibits a highly dominant dark matter component. Our analysis shows that the non-local corrections to the Newtonian potential do not affect the kinematic predictions, hence no spoiling effects emerge when the Non-local Gravity model serves as a dark energy model. We additionally provide the minimum value that the characteristic non-local radii can reach at these mass scales.

We present new families of solutions of D-dimensional Einstein-Maxwell theory depending on one variable for all space-time signatures. The solutions found can be thought of as generalized Melvin solutions including fluxtubes, domain walls and cosmological space-times. Explicit examples are given in four and five space-time dimensions.

We develop a framework combining the higher-twist formalism of exclusive processes in the $s$ channel with the semi-classical effective description of small-$x$ physics in the $t$ channel. We apply it to transversely polarized light vector meson production, $\gamma^{*} p \rightarrow V (\rho, \varphi ,\omega) \; p$, which starts at the next-to-leading power and for which a purely collinear treatment leads to end-point singularities. The result is obtained in the most general kinematics, including both forward and non-forward cases by preserving the full impact parameter dependence in the non-perturbative correlators, in both momentum and coordinate space representations. A systematic expansion of the Wilson lines in terms of Reggeized gluon fields is performed in order to obtain the results in the weak-field BFKL approximation. These new results will allow for investigating the dilute-to-dense regime transition of QCD for a wide class of observables.

We stratify families of projective and very affine hypersurfaces according to their topological Euler characteristic. Our new algorithms compute all strata using algebro-geometric techniques. For very affine hypersurfaces, we investigate and exploit the relation to critical point computations. Euler stratifications are relevant in particle physics and algebraic statistics. They fully describe the dependence of the number of master integrals, respectively the maximum likelihood degree, on kinematic or model parameters.

An observer with a finite lifetime $\mathcal{T}$ perceives the Minkowski vacuum as a thermal state at temperature $T_D = 2 \hbar/(\pi \mathcal{T})$, as a result of being constrained to a double-coned-shaped region known as a causal diamond. In this paper, we explore the emergence of thermality in causal diamonds due to the role played by the symmetries of conformal quantum mechanics (CQM) as a (0+1)-dimensional conformal field theory, within the de Alfaro-Fubini-Furlan model and generalizations. In this context, the hyperbolic operator $S$ of the SO(2,1) symmetry of CQM is the generator of the time evolution of a diamond observer, and its dynamical behavior leads to the predicted thermal nature. Our approach is based on a comprehensive framework of path-integral representations of the CQM generators in canonical and microcanonical forms, supplemented by semiclassical arguments. The properties of the operator $S$ are studied with emphasis on an operator duality with the corresponding elliptic operator $R$, using a representation in terms of an effective scale-invariant inverse square potential combined with inverted and ordinary harmonic oscillator potentials.

Causal diamonds are known to have thermal behavior that can be probed by finite-lifetime observers equipped with energy-scaled detectors. This thermality can be attributed to the time evolution of observers within the causal diamond, governed by one of the conformal quantum mechanics (CQM) symmetry generators: the noncompact hyperbolic operator $S$. In this paper, we show that the unbounded nature of $S$ endows it with a quantum instability, which is a generalization of a similar property exhibited by the inverted harmonic oscillator potential. Our analysis is semiclassical, including a detailed phase-space study of the classical dynamics of $S$ and its dual operator $R$, and a general semiclassical framework yielding basic instability and thermality properties that play a crucial role in the quantum behavior of the theory. For an observer with a finite lifetime $\mathcal{T}$, the detected temperature $T_D = 2 \hbar/(\pi \mathcal{T})$ is associated with a Lyapunov exponent $\lambda_L = \pi T_D/\hbar$, which is half the upper saturation bound of the information scrambling rate.

Exclusive diffractive meson production represents a golden channel for investigating gluonic saturation inside nucleons and nuclei. In this letter, we settle a systematic framework to deal with beyond leading power corrections at small-$x$, including the saturation regime, and obtain the $\gamma^{*} \rightarrow M (\rho, \phi, \omega)$ impact factor with both incoming photon and outgoing meson carrying arbitrary polarizations. This is of particular interest since the saturation scale at modern colliders, although entering a perturbative regime, is not large enough to prevents higher-twist effects to be sizable.

One of the fundamental characteristics of slow roll inflation is its generation of tensor perturbations, which manifest as stochastic gravitational waves (GWs). Slow roll inflation results in a nearly scale-invariant GW spectrum that maintains its scale invariance as it transitions into the radiation-dominated era. However, introducing an intermediate reheating phase can modify the spectral tilt, depending on the equation of state governing that particular epoch. These GWs, especially on smaller scales, are anticipated to be observable by forthcoming GW detectors. In this study, we initially delineate the parameter space encompassing the inflationary energy scale, reheating temperature, and equation of state in a model-independent manner, focusing on the spectra detectable by GW detectors such as LISA, ET, DECIGO, and BBO. We also examine the implications for the $\alpha$-attractor model of inflation and explore the observational constraints on $n_s-r$ prediction in the light of GW detection. Then, we point out the probable ranges for various non-gravitational and gravitational coupling between the inflaton and Standard Model particles considering the perturbative reheating. If one assumes PBHs were formed during the early reheating era, such detection of GW signal also sheds light on the probing PBH parameters. Note that for the case of PBH domination, we also consider the contribution of the induced GW due to the density function in PBH distribution, which helps to decode the phase of early PBH domination. Finally, to test the production of other cosmological relics through future GW missions, we consider dark matter produced via gravitational interaction in the early universe.

The energy spectra of linearly dispersing gapless spin-3/2 Dirac fermions display birefringence, featuring two effective Fermi velocities, thus breaking the space-time Lorentz symmetry. Here, we consider a non-Hermitian (NH) generalization of this scenario by introducing a masslike anti-Hermitian birefringent Dirac operator to its Hermitian counterpart. The resulting NH operator shows real eigenvalue spectra over an extended NH parameter regime, and a combination of non-spatial and discrete rotational symmetries protects the gapless nature of such quasiparticles. However, at the brink of dynamic mass generation, triggered by Hubbardlike local interactions, the birefringent parameter always vanishes under coarse grain due to Yukawa-type interactions with scalar bosonic order-parameter fluctuations. The resulting quantum critical state is, therefore, described by two decoupled copies of spin-1/2 Dirac fermions with a unique terminal Fermi velocity, which is equal to the bosonic order-parameter velocity, thereby fostering an emergent space-time Lorentz symmetry. Furthermore, depending on the internal algebra between the anti-Hermitian birefringent Dirac operator and the candidate mass order, the system achieves the emergent Yukawa-Lorentz symmetry either by maintaining its non-Hermiticity or by recovering a full Hermiticity. We discuss the resulting quantum critical phenomena and possible microscopic realizations of the proposed scenarios.