Alessio Marrani

We classify 2-center extremal black hole charge configurations through duality-invariant homogeneous polynomials, which are the generalization of the unique invariant quartic polynomial for single-center black holes based on homogeneous symmetric cubic special Kaehler geometries. A crucial role is played by an horizontal SL(p,R) symmetry group, which classifies invariants for p-center black holes. For p = 2, a (spin 2) quintet of quartic invariants emerge. We provide the minimal set of independent invariants for the rank-3 N = 2, d = 4 stu model, and for its lower-rank descendants, namely the rank-2 st^2 and rank-1 t^3 models; these models respectively exhibit seven, six and five independent invariants. We also derive the polynomial relations among these and other duality invariants. In particular, the symplectic product of two charge vectors is not independent from the quartic quintet in the t^3 model, but rather it satisfies a degree-16 relation, corresponding to a quartic equation for the square of the symplectic product itself.

We classify the stability region, marginal stability walls (MS) and split attractor flows for two-center extremal black holes in four-dimensional N=2 supergravity minimally coupled to n vector multiplets. It is found that two-center (continuous) charge orbits, classified by four duality invariants, either support a stability region ending on a MS wall or on an anti-marginal stability (AMS) wall, but not both. Therefore, the scalar manifold never contains both walls. Moreover, the BPS mass of the black hole composite (in its stability region) never vanishes in the scalar manifold. For these reasons, the "bound state transformation walls" phenomenon does not necessarily occur in these theories. The entropy of the flow trees also satisfies an inequality which forbids "entropy enigma" decays in these models. Finally, the non-BPS case, due to the existence of a "fake" superpotential satisfying a triangle inequality, can be treated as well, and it can be shown to exhibit a split attractor flow dynamics which, at least in the n=1 case, is analogous to the BPS one.

We study the conditions of marginal stability for two-center extremal black holes in N-extended supergravity in four dimensions, with particular emphasis on the N=8 case. This is achieved by exploiting triangle inequalities satisfied by matrix norms. Using different norms and relative bounds among them, we establish the existence of marginal stability and split attractor flows both for BPS and some non-BPS solutions. Our results are in agreement with previous analysis based on explicit construction of multi-center solutions.

We compute the effective black hole potential V of the most general N=2, d=4 (local) special Kaehler geometry with quantum perturbative corrections, consistent with axion-shift Peccei-Quinn symmetry and with cubic leading order behavior. We determine the charge configurations supporting axion-free attractors, and explain the differences among various configurations in relations to the presence of ``flat'' directions of V at its critical points. Furthermore, we elucidate the role of the sectional curvature at the non-supersymmetric critical points of V, and compute the Riemann tensor (and related quantities), as well as the so-called E-tensor. The latter expresses the non-symmetricity of the considered quantum perturbative special Kaehler geometry.

We reconsider the sub-leading quantum perturbative corrections to N=2 cubic special Kaehler geometries. Imposing the invariance under axion-shifts, all such corrections (but the imaginary constant one) can be introduced or removed through suitable, lower unitriangular symplectic transformations, dubbed Peccei-Quinn (PQ) transformations. Since PQ transformations do not belong to the d=4 U-duality group G4, in symmetric cases they generally have a non-trivial action on the unique quartic invariant polynomial I4 of the charge representation R of G4. This leads to interesting phenomena in relation to theory of extremal black hole attractors; namely, the possibility to make transitions between different charge orbits of R, with corresponding change of the supersymmetry properties of the supported attractor solutions. Furthermore, a suitable action of PQ transformations can also set I4 to zero, or vice versa it can generate a non-vanishing I4: this corresponds to transitions between "large" and "small" charge orbits, which we classify in some detail within the "special coordinates" symplectic frame. Finally, after a brief account of the action of PQ transformations on the recently established correspondence between Cayley's hyperdeterminant and elliptic curves, we derive an equivalent, alternative expression of I4, with relevant application to black hole entropy.

We derive the U-duality charge orbits, as well as the related moduli spaces, of ``large'' and ``small'' extremal black holes in nonmaximal ungauged Maxwell-Einstein supergravities with symmetric scalar manifolds in d=5 space-time dimensions. The stabilizer groups of the various classes of orbits are obtained by determining and solving suitable U-invariant sets of constraints, both in ``bare'' and ``dressed'' charge bases, with various methods. After a general treatment of attractors in real special geometry (also considering nonsymmetric cases), the N=2 ``magic'' theories, as well as the N=2 Jordan symmetric sequence, are analyzed in detail. Finally, the half-maximal (N=4) matter-coupled supergravity is also studied in this context.