High Energy Theory Group Meeting: A No-Replica Trick for the Free Energy

Zoom: https://tau-ac-il.zoom.us/j/82580881224?pwd=U1hrRkp1VGVuU0czT1pKRkhnbXpYdz09

Abstract: 

In 2007.07444, it was pointed out that wormholes do not only arise in the replica trick for the von Neumann entropy, but also in the gravitational path integral for extensive quantities like the (quenched) free energy. A replica trick computation of the free energy requires an analytic continuation to zero replicas which is not well understood and appears to be ambiguous. In this talk, I will present a general prescription inspired by Lewkowycz-Maldacena which disambiguates this trick by tracking gravitational saddle points in the continuum of replicas. I will then report on partial progress in applying this prescription to Jackiw-Teitelboim gravity coupled to conformal matter. (Based on work in progress with Ven Chandrasekaran, Netta Engelhardt and Sebastian Fischetti.)

Seminar Organizer: Andrea Guerrieri