Speaker
Prof.
Nabil Iqbal
(University of Amsterdam)
Description
Just as ordinary global symmetries in quantum field theory
are associated with conserved currents that count particle
numbers, “generalized” global symmetries are associated
with
higher-form conserved currents that can be understood as
counting higher-dimensional objects such as strings. I will
discuss how this idea applies to the long-distance structure
of theories of electromagnetism, where a key role is played
by a higher-form conserved current that counts the density
of magnetic flux lines. I will then use this higher form
current to reformulate dissipative magnetohydrodynamics
from
the point of view of generalized symmetries and effective
field theory. I will also discuss the structure of the
holographic dual to magnetohydrodynamics, which involves a
two-form field propagating in the bulk.