Mesoamerican School on Theoretical Approaches to Black Hole Physics:

String and related approaches.

11th September 2017 8:30am - 16th September 2017 17:00pm

Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas, México.
More information: psloane@mctp.mx

Organizing committee:
Local: Dr. Elías Castellanos Alcántara, Dra. Celia Escamilla Rivera, Dr. Peter Sloane (Chair).

Scientific Committee:
Prof. George Papadopoulos, King’s College London, UK. (Co-chair)
Prof. Antoine van Proeyen , KU Leuven, Belgium. (Co-chair)
Director Prof. Nathan Berkovits, ICTP-SAIFR, Brazil.
Prof. Mariano Chernicoff, UNAM, México.
Prof. Hugo Compean, CINVESTAV, IPN, México.
Prof. Oscar Loaiza Brito, Universidad de Guanajuato, México.
Prof. Mario Trigiante, Politecnico de Torino, Italy.

Since the discovery of the first black hole solutions of the theory of general relativity
an immense effort of countless researchers all over the world has gone into understanding
their nature. Indeed, the quest for a quantum theory of gravity is motivated by the need to
understand these objects. The discovery of Hawking radiation, leading to the evaporation of
black holes, led to the information paradox, which is still debated in the literature today. With
the discovery of string theory and the AdS/CFT correspondence, tools have become
available to work towards a microscopic description of the thermodynamic properties of
black holes. The detection of black holes at the centre of galactic nuclei by astrophysicists,
and the detection of gravitational waves, lends an impetus to fully understand these
theoretical considerations, to underpin advances in the modelling of observable objects, and
may even, with luck, allow the observation of new extremely high energy fundamental
physics. This school will equip its participants with the necessary tools to understand current
research in black hole physics, this year in the context of string theory and its low energy
limit supergravity and related theories.

String theory provides many promising approaches to understand the fundamental

physics of black holes, the only observed objects for which a theory of quantum gravity is
clearly necessary to understand their nature. However in the higher dimensional setting of
string theory, results from four dimensions such as the no-hair theorem and uniqueness
theorems do not necessarily apply, and the topology of the horizons of black objects need
not be spherical. The violation of uniqueness theorems also casts doubt on some
assumptions made in some older micro-state counting calculations. A full understanding of
black objects in string and related theories is therefore clearly important both in its own right,
and to understand more fully the effects arising from string theory in our four dimensional
world. This school aims to equip students to understand recent work on black hole physics
in the context of string and related theories by providing lectures on the fundamental of string
theory, supergravity, holography and higher spin theories followed by more detailed talks on
their applications to black holes and other black objects.
The lectures will be:

A) A brief introduction to string theory – Prof. Mariano Chernicoff (UNAM, Mexico)

B) Black holes in extended supergravity - Prof. Mario Trigiante (Politecnico Torino, Italy)
C) Introduction to AdS/CFT - Prof. Alberto Guijosa (UNAM, Mexico)
D) Aspects of black hole Thermodynamics
- Dr. Suresh Nampuri (CAMGSD-IST, Lisbon, Portugal)
E) Higher spin gravities, black holes and cosmology
- Prof. Per Sundell (Universidad Andrés Bello, Chile)
F) Geometry, horizons and supersymmetry - Prof. George Papadopoulos (KCL,UK)

Prof. Sarah Kaufmann (MCTP) will also give an accessible talk (O) on astrophysical
black holes and their observation. Participant discussion sessions (tutorials) in smaller
groups of up to 10 students will be led by the local organizers.

The school is directed at researchers at any level, Postdocs, Phd and Masters
students, and, exceptionally, final year undergraduate (licenciatura) students. Students will
be required to have studied first courses in general relativity, and quantum field theory, or, in
exceptional cases, provide ample evidence of self study having previously completed
courses in special relativity and quantum mechanics, such as work on an undergraduate
thesis, or participation in a relevant school. This school will equip its participants with the
necessary tools to understand current research in black hole physics in the context of string
theory and its low energy limit supergravity and related theories.

Deadline to request support: 13th August 2017

Deadline for submission: 27th August 2017

Support is available to cover the accommodation costs of a limited number of participants,

with preference to Mesoamerican students. Very limited support is available for the
transportation costs of Mesoamerican participants outside Mexico.

Mon 11 September Tue 12 Wed 13 Thu 14 Fri 15 Sat 16

8.30 Registration
9:30 Lecture A1 Lecture A3 Lecture C1 Lecture C3 Lecture E3 FREE
10:30 Lecture A2 Lecture A4 Lecture C2 Lecture C4 Lecture E4 FREE
11:30 Break / Registration Break Break Break Break FREE
12:00 Lecture B1 Lecture B4 Lecture D1 Lecture D3 Lecture F2 Lecture F4
13:00 Lecture B2 Lecture B5 Lecture D2 Lecture E2 Lecture F3 Lecture F5
14:00 Inauguration LUNCH LUNCH LUNCH LUNCH LUNCH
14:30 LUNCH
16:00 Lecture B3 Lecture B6 Lecture E1 Lecture F1 Lecture D4 Q&A 3
17:00 Tutorial 1 Q&A 1 Lecture O Tutorial 2 Q&A2 Close