Comments on D3-Brane Holography

Understand

We revisit the idea that the quantum dynamics of open strings ending on $N$ D3-branes in the large $N$ limit can be described at large `t Hooft coupling by classical closed string theory in the background created by the D3-branes in asymptotically flat spacetime.

• We study the resulting thermodynamics and compute the Hagedorn temperature and other properties of the D3-brane worldvolume theory in this regime.
• We also consider the theory in which the D3-branes are replaced by negative branes and show that its thermodynamics is well behaved.
• We comment on the idea that this theory can be thought of as an irrelevant deformation of $\mathcal{N}=4$ SYM, and on its relation to $T\bar T$ deformed $CFT_2$.