Holographic thermalization in finite-size systems

Abstract

The AdS/CFT correspondence has provided a fascinating window into the real-time dynamics of strongly-coupled QFTs. On the other hand, studies of gravitational collapse in asymptotically global AdS spacetimes have unraveled a surprisingly rich landscape of possible routes to final black hole formation or its absence thereof, that depend both on the precise dynamics and the initial state considered. In the light of the equivalence between gravitational collapse and thermalization implied by the duality, it is natural to wonder which universal lessons these results entail on the out-of-equilibrium physics of isolated, macroscopic quantum systems at strong coupling. This thesis aims to be a modest step in elucidating this question.