Tidal excitation as mixing in thermal CFT

We use mixed correlators in thermal CFT as clean probes of the strong gravity effects in their holographic duals. The dual interpretation of mixing is an inelastic conversion of one field to another field, induced by gravity: tidal excitation. We find an enhanced mixing at high temperatures, corresponding to large AdS black holes, concentrated to small boundary momenta, dual to the deep bulk, where strong gravitational fields are expected. We also find large O(1/G(N)) tidal conversion in the low temperature phase of the U(N) vector model, strengthening suspicions that the bulk dual of this phase also houses extremely compact objects.

Automated summary

In this study, mixed correlators in thermal CFT are used to investigate the strong gravity effects in their holographic duals. Enhanced mixing is found at high temperatures, corresponding to large AdS black holes, while large O(1/G(N)) tidal conversion is observed in the low temperature phase of the U(N) vector model, suggesting the presence of extremely compact objects in the bulk dual of this phase.