Holographic drag force in non-conformal plasma

Abstract

Abstract In this study, the gauge/string duality is used to investigate the dynamics of a moving heavy quark in a strongly coupled, non-conformal plasma. The drag force in this non-conformal model is smaller than that of $$\mathcal {N} = 4$$ N = 4 supersymmetric Yang–Mills (SYM) plasma and decreases as the level of non-conformality is increased. At intermediate temperatures, the world-sheet temperature, which is derived numerically by calculating the world-sheet horizon, deviates from its conformal value, but at high temperatures, it tends to its conformal value.