Mon, 31 Oct 2016
12:45
L3

Generalising Calabi-Yau for flux backgrounds

Anthony Ashmore
(Oxford)
Abstract

Calabi-Yau spaces provide well-understood examples of supersymmetric vacua in supergravity. The supersymmetry conditions on such spaces can be rephrased as the existence and integrability of a particular geometric structure. When fluxes are allowed, the conditions are more complicated and the analogue of the geometric structure is not well understood.
In this talk, I will review work that defines the analogue of Calabi-Yau geometry for generic D=4, N=2 supergravity backgrounds. The geometry is characterised by a pair of structures in generalised geometry, where supersymmetry is equivalent to integrability of the structures. I will also discuss the extension AdS backgrounds, where deformations of these geometric structures correspond to exactly marginal deformations of the dual field theories.

 
 
Mon, 24 Oct 2016
12:00
L3

M5-branes and 4d-2d Dualities

Sakura Schafer-Nameki
(Oxford)
Abstract

M5-branes on 4-manifolds M_4 realized as co-associatives in G_2 give rise to 2d (0,2) superconformal theories. In this talk I will propose a duality between these 2d (0,2) theories and 4d topological theories, which are sigma-models from M_4 into the Nahm moduli space. 

 
Mon, 17 Oct 2016
12:00
L3

Vertex operator algebras from four-dimensional SCFTs

Christopher Beem
(Oxford)
Abstract

I will review the recently exposed connection between N=2 superconformal field theories in four dimensions and vertex operator algebras (VOAs). I will outline some general features of the VOAs that arise in this manner and describe the manner in which they reflect four-dimensional operations such as gauging and Higgsing. Time permitting, I will also touch on the modular properties of characters of these VOAs.

Mon, 10 Oct 2016
12:00
L3

A space of states in Berkovits string theory: a mathematical approach

Michael Movshev
(SUNY at Stony Brook)
Abstract

Pure spinor space, a cone over orthogonal Grassmannian OGr(5,10), is a central concept in the Berkovits formulation of string theory. The space of states of the beta-gamma system on pure spinors is tensor factor in the Hilbert space of string theory . This is why it would be nice to have a good definition of this space of states. This is not a straightforward task because of the conical singularity of the target. In the talk I will explain a strategy for attacking  conical targets. In the case of pure spinors the method gives a formula for partition function of pure spinors.

Symmetry breaking in MAST plasma turbulence due to toroidal flow shear
Fox, M van Wyk, L Field, A Ghim, Y Parra, F Schekochihin, A Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion volume 59 034002 (01 Dec 2016)
Very high-energy gamma-ray follow-up program using neutrino triggers from IceCube
Aartsen, M Abraham, K Ackermann, M Sarkar, S Journal of Instrumentation volume 11 issue 11 P11009 (01 Nov 2016)
Thu, 24 Nov 2016
17:30
L6

Complexifying $R_{an, exp}$-definable functions

Alex Wilkie
(Oxford)
Abstract

After mentioning, by way of motivation (mine at least), some diophantine questions concerning
sets definable in the restricted analytic, exponential field $\R_{an, exp}$, I discuss the
problem of extending a given $\R_{an, exp}$-definable function $f:(a, \infty) \to \R$ to
a holomorphic function $\hat f : \{z \in \C : Re(z) > b \} \to \C$ (for some $b > a$).
In particular, I give a necessary and sufficient condition on $f$ for such an $\hat f$ to exist and be
$\R_{an, exp}$-definable.
 

Tue, 29 Nov 2016

12:00 - 13:15
L4

Finite BMS transformations

Glenn Barnich
(ULB Brussells)
Abstract

After a brief review of holographic features of general relativity in 3 and 4 dimensions, I will show how to derive the transformation laws of the Bondi mass and angular momentum aspects under finite supertranslations, superrotations and complex Weyl rescalings.
 

Tue, 08 Nov 2016

12:00 - 13:15
L4

Ten-dimensional light-like lines, smooth Wilson loops in N=4 super Yang-Mills and twistors

Dr Christian Vergu
(Kings College London)
Abstract

In this talk I will present a class of super-Wilson loops in N=4 super Yang-Mills theory. The expectation value of these operators has been shown previously to be invariant under a Yangian symmetry. I will show how the kinematics of such super-Wilson loops can be described in a twistorial way and how this leads to compact, manifestly super-conformal invariant expressions for some two-point functions.
 

Tue, 22 Nov 2016

12:00 - 13:00
L4

The number theory of superstring scattering amplitudes

Federico Zerbini
(Bonn)
Abstract

The Feynman diagram expansion of scattering amplitudes in perturbative superstring theory can be written (for closed strings) as a series of integrals over compactified moduli spaces of Riemann surfaces with marked points, indexed by the genus. Therefore in genus 0 it is reasonable to find, as it often happens in QFT computations, periods of M_{0,N}, which are known to be multiple zeta values. In this talk I want to report on recent advances in the genus 1 amplitude, which are related to the development of 2 different generalizations of classical multiple zeta values, namely elliptic multiple zeta values and conical sums.

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