Probing emergent geometry through phase transitions in free vector and matrix models

Understand

Boundary correlation functions provide insight into the emergence of an effective geometry in higher spin gravity duals of O(N) or U(N) symmetric field theories.

• On a compact manifold, the singlet constraint leads to nontrivial dynamics at finite temperature and large N phase transitions even at vanishing 't Hooft coupling.
• At low temperature, the leading behavior of boundary two-point functions is consistent with propagation through a bulk thermal anti de Sitter space.
• Above the phase transition, the two-point function shows significant departure from thermal AdS space and the emergence of localized black hole like objects in the bulk.