Holographic thermalization in Gauss-Bonnet gravity with de Sitter boundary

Abstract

We introduce higher-derivative Gauss-Bonnet correction terms in the gravity sector and we relate the modified gravity theory in the bulk to the strongly coupled quantum field theory on a de Sitter boundary. We study the process of holographic thermalization by examining three nonlocal observables, the two-point function, the Wilson loop and the holographic entanglement entropy. We study the time evolution of these three observables and we find that as the strength of the Gauss-Bonnet coupling is increased, the saturation time of the thermalization process to reach thermal equilibrium becomes shorter with the dominant effect given by the holographic entanglement entropy.

27 pages, 13 figures, minor modifications