Conformal Symmetry in the Sky (Oskar Klein Memorial Lecture)
by
Andrew Strominger(Harvard University)
→
Europe/Stockholm
Oskar Klein auditorium
Oskar Klein auditorium
Description
Recent observations suggest the sky contains black holes whose
horizons are spinning at nearly the speed of light. General relativity implies that
the dynamics very near the horizon of such extreme black holes is governed by
an enhanced infinite-dimensional conformal symmetry - identical to the enhanced
symmetry observed near the critical points of a variety of condensed matter systems.
Potential observational consequences of this symmetry are explored.