Gravitational Lorentz Violation and Superluminality via AdS/CFT Duality

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates how a specific non-local perturbation in a conformal field theory with an AdS dual can lead to superluminal communication within a gravitating AdS_5 spacetime, challenging conventional Lorentz invariance.

Contribution

It introduces a novel weak coupling deformation of a CFT that allows superluminal effects in AdS, ensuring UV-completeness and providing insights into Lorentz violation and wormhole interpretations.

Findings

Superluminal communication possible in AdS with non-local perturbation.

Deformation maintains UV-completeness and duality consistency.

Implications for tests of gravity and horizon physics.

Abstract

A weak quantum mechanical coupling is constructed permitting superluminal communication within a preferred region of a gravitating AdS_5 spacetime. This is achieved by adding a spatially non-local perturbation of a special kind to the Hamiltonian of a four-dimensional conformal field theory with a weakly-coupled AdS dual, such as maximally supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory. In particular, two issues are given careful treatment: (1) the UV-completeness of our deformed CFT, guaranteeing the existence of a ``deformed string theory'' AdS dual, and (2) the demonstration that superluminal effects can take place in AdS, both on its boundary as well as in the bulk. Exotic Lorentz-violating properties such as these may have implications for tests of General Relativity, addressing the cosmological constant problem, or probing "behind'' horizons. Our construction may give insight into the interpretation of wormhole solutions in Euclidean AdS gravity.