Speaker: Dr.Lorenzo Bartolini, TU Wien
Time: June 1, 2026, Monday, 14:30
Location: Room 9409

Abstract:

The equation of state (EOS) of dense nuclear matter is one of the open problems in physics, receiving lot of attention recently because of the observational window on compact astrophysical objects openedoy gravitational waves detection. Effective field theories are reliable up to slightly above saturatiordensity, and lattice QCD faces the sign problem when working at finite chemical potential: for thisreason, holographic QCD can be a powerful tool for the description of nuclear matter above saturationdensity. For many years, the main tool employed in holographic models has been the homogeneousapproximation: while useful in providing qualitative insights, this tool proved unable to reproducenuclear matter properties at saturation, a problem common to all holographic models. In this talk, weattempt to go beyond this approximation, and we propose an alternative description of nuclear matterbased on a lattice of solitons: we use the top-down Witten-Sakai-Sugimoto model to realize theoroposed construction, and find hybrid EOS and neutron stars properties compatible with the mostrecent data by NICER.

Speaker Profile:

Lorenzo Bartolini is a theoretical physicist specializing in gauge/string theory and holography, with focus on nuclear matter, neutron stars, and QCD at finite density. He is currently a postdoctoral researcherat TU Wien (2025-ongoing), following previous appointments at Henan University (2021-2025) and ascholarship at TU Wien (2020). 1le obtained his PhD in Physics from the University of Pisa (2016 2020)with a thesis on baryons and the deuteron as solitons in holographic QCD, graduating magna cumlaude. He has authored over a dozen publications, including in Phys. Rev. Lett., JHEP, and Phys. Rev. D,covering topics such as isospin asymmetry in neutron stars, holographic models (Witten-Sakai-Sugimoto.nard-wall, V-QCD), and symmetry energy. He has given numerous invited talks and plenary contributionsat major conferences (Hadron2025, Quark Confinement). His recent awards include a National NaturalScience Foundation of China grant (2025-2027) and an MSCA Seal of Excellence (2026). He also hasextensive teaching experience and a strong interdisciplinary background.