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Black holes from chaos

Published 10 Jan 2025 in hep-th | (2501.06170v1)

Abstract: We study the emergence of black hole geometry from chaotic systems at finite temperature. The essential input is the universal operator growth hypothesis, which dictates the asymptotic behavior of the Lanczos coefficients. Under this assumption, we map the chaotic dynamics to a discrete analog of the scattering problem on a black hole background. We give a simple prescription for computing the Green's functions, and explore some of the resulting analytic properties. In particular, assuming that the Lanczos coefficients are sufficiently smooth, we present evidence that the spectral density is a meromorphic function of frequency with no zeroes. Our formalism provides a framework for accurately computing the late time behavior of Green's functions in chaotic systems, and we work out several instructive examples.

Summary

  • The paper demonstrates that linear growth in Lanczos coefficients within chaotic quantum systems underpins a novel mapping to black hole scattering geometries.
  • It employs perturbative techniques and SYK model examples to calculate Green’s functions, predicting late-time thermal correlation behaviors.
  • The findings open new avenues to explore quantum gravity and black hole thermodynamics using insights from chaos theory.

Emergence of Black Hole Geometries from Chaotic Systems

The paper "Black holes from chaos" by Matthew Dodelson investigates the intriguing relationship between chaotic quantum systems and black hole geometries, focusing on the late-time behavior of thermal correlation functions. This research bridges the study of chaos in quantum systems and gravitational physics, proposing an innovative framework for examining how black hole geometries can emerge from quantum chaotic dynamics.

Core Concepts and Methodology

At the foundation of this study is the universal operator growth hypothesis. This hypothesis suggests that in a chaotic theory, the Lanczos coefficients behave linearly at large indices, a key observation that underpins the mapping proposed between chaotic dynamical systems and black hole scattering problems.

The methodology involves mapping chaotic dynamics to a discrete version of a scattering problem akin to those seen near black hole backgrounds. This analogy allows the author to propose a method for computing Green's functions with implications for understanding quantum chaotic behavior at finite temperatures. A central part of the study involves the reconstruction of a scattering potential from the Lanczos coefficients, and an examination of the convergence properties of the perturbative series of these potentials.

Analytical Findings and Examples

The paper delves deeply into the perturbative techniques to analyze the implications of smooth Lanczos coefficients for Green's functions. In particular, it evidences that the frequency-dependent spectral density can manifest as a meromorphic function without zeroes, provided the Lanczos coefficients are sufficiently well-behaved. This result is significant for theoretical predictions of the long-time behavior of correlation functions, a domain often clouded by the chaotic nature of the systems in question.

Two instructive examples within the context of the Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev (SYK) model are methodically examined: the standard q=4q=4 SYK model and its mass-deformed variant. The former supports the concept of universal linear growth in the Lanczos coefficients, and showcases the surprising accuracy with which low-order terms can predict long-time dynamics, lending credence to the framework's efficacy. In contrast, the mass-deformed version illustrates potential non-analytic behaviors, such as branch cuts in the frequency plane, further complexifying the interplay between chaotic dynamics and integrability.

Implications and Future Directions

The implications of this research are manifold. From a theoretical perspective, it illuminates paths for exploring black hole information paradoxes and quantum gravity, particularly in how chaotic quantum systems can simulate black hole thermodynamics. Practically, its framework suggests a method for calculating late-time dynamics in systems where direct computation is otherwise intractable.

Future endeavors could profitably focus on extending these concepts beyond the models discussed, potentially exploring higher-dimensional or non-integrable systems. Additionally, the connections between these quantum-chaos descriptions and other non-linear dynamics in holography could enrich our understanding of both quantum gravity and field theory. Furthermore, the study proposes that exploring systems with complex scattering potentials might yield new insights into phenomena such as bulk singularities and photon spheres traditionally associated with black holes.

Overall, Dodelson’s paper provides a compelling glimpse into the correspondence between quantum chaos and gravitational notions, heralding new conceptual tools and methodologies that straddle the realms of quantum theory and gravitational physics. The results serve as a pivotal step forward in articulating the role of chaos in quantum systems vis-à-vis black hole physics, advancing our grasp of fundamental concepts within theoretical physics.

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