TY  - JOUR
PB  - SciPost Foundation
DO  - 10.21468/SciPostPhys.19.4.099
TI  - Statistical physics of the polarised IKKT matrix model
PY  - 2025/10/16
UR  - https://www.scipost.org/SciPostPhys.19.4.099
JF  - SciPost Physics
JA  - SciPost Phys.
VL  - 19
IS  - 4
SP  - 099
A1  - Hartnoll, Sean A.
AU  - Liu, Jun
AB  - The polarised IKKT matrix model is the worldpoint theory of $N$ D-instantons in a background three-form flux of magnitude $\Omega$, and promises to be a highly tractable model of holography. The matrix integral can be viewed as a statistical physics partition function with inverse temperature $\Omega^4$. At large $\Omega$ the model is dominated by a matrix configuration corresponding to a 'polarised' spherical D1-brane. We show that at a critical value of $\Omega^2 N$ the model undergoes a first order phase transition, corresponding to tunneling into a collection of well-separated D-instantons. These instantons are the remnant of a competing saddle in the high $\Omega$ phase corresponding to spherical $(p,q)$ fivebranes. We use a combination of numerical and analytical arguments to capture the different regimes of the model.
ER  -

@Article{10.21468/SciPostPhys.19.4.099,
	title={{Statistical physics of the polarised IKKT matrix model}},
	author={Sean A. Hartnoll and Jun Liu},
	journal={SciPost Phys.},
	volume={19},
	pages={099},
	year={2025},
	publisher={SciPost},
	doi={10.21468/SciPostPhys.19.4.099},
	url={https://scipost.org/10.21468/SciPostPhys.19.4.099},
}