Dilaton-driven confinement

TL;DR

This paper constructs a supergravity solution with a dilaton profile that models confinement in a dual gauge theory, showing area law Wilson loops and a mass gap, indicating a confining phase.

Contribution

It presents a new type IIB supergravity solution asymptotic to AdS_5 x S^5 with features of confining gauge theories, including a dilaton profile and confinement indicators.

Findings

Wilson loops follow area law behavior

Presence of a mass gap

Solution exhibits a naked singularity in the interior

Abstract

We derive a solution of type IIB supergravity which is asymptotic to AdS_5 x S^5, has SO(6) symmetry, and exhibits some of the features expected of geometries dual to confining gauge theories. At the linearized level, the solution differs from pure AdS_5 x S^5 only by a dilaton profile. It has a naked singularity in the interior. Wilson loops follow area law behavior, and there is a mass gap. We suggest a field theory interpretation in which all matter fields of N=4 gauge theory acquire a mass and the infrared theory is confining.