graduate

Einstein's equations: good for more than just gravity!

TYPEColloquium
Speaker:Professor Laurence Yaffe
Affiliation: University of Washington
Date:27.05.2013
Time:14:30
Location:Lidow Rosen Auditorium (323)
Abstract:Quantum field theories describing certain strongly interacting or
strongly correlated systems have exact alternative descriptions as
gravitational theories in higher dimensions. This allows problems
involving non-equilibrium behavior to be recast as gravitational
initial value problems. By solving Einstein's equations, numerically,
one may study far-from-equilibrium dynamics. Questions involving
thermalization, isotropization, and hydrodynamics become related
to the evolution and relaxation of gravitational horizons. Results
obtained on several problems involving highly anisotropic plasmas,
colliding shock waves, and turbulent fluids will be shown.