We show that liquids and certain holographic models are strikingly similar in terms of several detailed and specific properties related to their energy spectra. We consider two different holographic models and ascertain their similarity with liquids on the basis of emergence of the gap in transverse momentum space and the functional form of the dispersion relation. Furthermore, we find that the gap increases with temperature, the relaxation time governing the gap decreases with temperature and, finally, the gap is inversely proportional to the relaxation time as in liquids. On this basis, we propose that the general idea involved in Maxwell-Frenkel approach to liquids can be used to understand holographic models and their strongly coupled field theory counterparts in a nonperturbative way.

• Received 16 August 2018

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.99.106002

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Published by the American Physical Society