Dr Rodolfo Russo

Profile

I did my undergraduate studies at the universities of Pavia and Torino, Italy and obtained my PhD from Politecnico di Torino. I was a postdoc at the university of Neuchâtel (1998-200), École Normale Supérieure, Paris (2000-2003) and CERN, Geneva (2004-2005) before joining QMUL in 2006.

My research focuses on String Theory, Quantum Field Theory and the relation between the two. In particular I am currently working on various aspects of the AdS/CFT duality in presence of heavy states and on the eikonal limit of gravitational scattering. Both problems provide interesting insights on black hole dynamics, which has been at centre of my interests in the past few years.

Teaching

I teach the modules "Functional methods in Quantum Field Theory" SPA7024. I am the programme director of the postgraduate taught programmes MSc physics and MSc Euromasters. I am coordinating the master projects modules SPA7012 and SPA7026.

I also offer 3rd year, 4th year and master research projects in the areas of black hole physics, AdS/CFT and string amplitudes.

Research

Research Interests:

My current research focuses on the study of holographic correlators in the AdS/CFT context and in particular on the analysis of the heavy operators representing the microstates of supersymmetric black hole. I have also been systematically finding new exact and smooth supergravity solutions dual to these microstates in the context of the Strominger-Vafa black hole.

More generally, I am interested in how black hole physics can be described within a string or QFT approach, including the study of the gravitational eikonal limit as a tool to describe black hole inspiral in the post-Minkowksian approximation, as well as a way to probe the high energy regime of consistent gravitational theories. I am exploring how amplitude based techniques can help in describing the radiation emitted by black hole binaries.

I have a longstanding interest in perturbative string theory and the mathematical structure of higher loop string diagrams, both in the bosonic and the supersymmetric cases. 

Examples of research funding:

 Current Grants

• Science and Technology Facilities Council: Amplitudes, string theory and duality, Brandhuber, Buican, Green, Monteiro, Papageorgakis, Perry, Ramgoolam, Russo, White, £890,210 (2020-2023)
• I was the director of BUSSTEPP@50 which was supported by the STFC grant, £105,808 (held at QMUL, Jan-Feb 2021) 

Past grants

• INFN (Italy): grant supporting the 2-month programme "String Theory from a Worldsheet Perspective" at the Galileo Galilei institute (2019)
• INFN (Italy): grant supporting the conference "50 Years of the Veneziano Model:
  From Dual Models to Strings, M-theory and Beyond" (2018)
• Science and Technology Facilities Council: String theory, gauge theory and duality, Berman, Brandhuber, Buican, Papageorgakis, Ramgoolam, Russo, Shigemori, White, £710,337 (2017-2020)
• U.K. coordinator for the "Projet International de Coopération Scientifique” (2009-2012) with the Laboratoire de Physique Théorique et Hautes Energies at Sorbonne Université in Paris.
• Marie Curie Individual Fellowship (2010-12) “Matrix Models Recursions in Topological Strings and Beyond” to host Sara Pasquetti
• Grant of the Foundation Boncompagni-Ludovisi to host Valeria Gili (2007-2010)

Publications

The list of my publication is available here

• Di Vecchia P, Heissenberg C, Russo R (2022). Angular momentum of zero-frequency gravitons. nameOfConference

  
  

  DOI: 10.1007/jhep08(2022)172

  
  

  QMRO: https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/80573
• Di Vecchia P, Heissenberg C, Russo R et al. (2022). The eikonal operator at arbitrary velocities I: the soft-radiation limit. nameOfConference

  
  

  DOI: 10.1007/JHEP07(2022)039

  
  

  QMRO: https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/79599
• Ganchev B, Giusto S, Houppe A et al. (2022). AdS 3 holography for non-BPS geometries. nameOfConference

  
  

  DOI: 10.1140/epjc/s10052-022-10133-2

  
  

  QMRO: https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/77831
• Čeplak N, Giusto S, Hughes MRR et al. (2021). Holographic correlators with multi-particle states. nameOfConference

  
  

  DOI: 10.1007/jhep09(2021)204

  
  

  QMRO: https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/74588
• Di Vecchia P, Heissenberg C, Russo R et al. (2021). The eikonal approach to gravitational scattering and radiation at O (G ³). nameOfConference

  
  

  DOI: 10.1007/JHEP07(2021)169

  
  

  QMRO: https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/73660
• Di Vecchia P, Heissenberg C, Russo R et al. (2021). Radiation reaction from soft theorems. nameOfConference

  
  

  DOI: 10.1016/j.physletb.2021.136379

  
  

  QMRO: https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/72829
• Di Vecchia P, Heissenberg C, Russo R et al. (2020). Universality of ultra-relativistic gravitational scattering. nameOfConference

  
  

  DOI: 10.1016/j.physletb.2020.135924

  
  

  QMRO: https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/68857
• Giusto S, Hughes MRR, Russo R (2020). The Regge limit of AdS3 holographic correlators. nameOfConference

  
  

  DOI: 10.1007/JHEP11(2020)018

  
  

  QMRO: https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/68942
• Giusto S, Russo R, Tyukov A et al. (2020). The CFT6 origin of all tree-level 4-point correlators in AdS3 x S3. nameOfConference

  
  

  DOI: 10.1140/epjc/s10052-020-8300-4

  
  

  QMRO: https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/66753
• Di Vecchia P, Naculich SG, Russo R et al. (2020). A tale of two exponentiations in N = 8 supergravity at subleading level. nameOfConference

  
  

  DOI: 10.1007/JHEP03(2020)173

  
  

  QMRO: https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/64085
• Collado AK, Di Vecchia P, Russo R (2019). Revisiting the second post-Minkowskian eikonal and the dynamics of binary black holes. nameOfConference

  
  

  DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevD.100.066028

  
  

  QMRO: https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/60810
• Di Vecchia P, Luna A, Naculich SG et al. (2019). A tale of two exponentiations in N=8 supergravity. nameOfConference

  
  

  DOI: 10.1016/j.physletb.2019.134927

  
  

  QMRO: https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/60042
• Giusto S, Russo R, Tyukov A et al. (2019). Holographic correlators in AdS3 without Witten diagrams. nameOfConference

  
  

  DOI: 10.1007/jhep09(2019)030

  
  

  QMRO: https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/59720
• WEN C, Giusto S, RUSSO R (2019). Holographic correlators in AdS3. nameOfConference

  
  

  DOI: 10.1007/JHEP03(2019)096

  
  

  QMRO: https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/56529
• Čeplak N, Russo R, Shigemori M (2019). Supercharging superstrata. nameOfConference

  
  

  DOI: 10.1007/JHEP03(2019)095

  
  

  QMRO: https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/56804
• Bombini A, Giusto S, Russo R (2019). A note on the Virasoro blocks at order 1/c. nameOfConference

  
  

  DOI: 10.1140/epjc/s10052-018-6522-5

  
  

  QMRO: https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/54829
• KOEMANS COLLADO A, Di Vecchia P, RUSSO R et al. (2018). The subleading eikonal in supergravity theories. nameOfConference

  
  

  DOI: 10.1007/JHEP10(2018)038

  
  

  QMRO: https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/48065
• Bena I, Giusto S, Martinec EJ et al. (2018). Asymptotically-flat supergravity solutions deep inside the black-hole regime. nameOfConference

  
  

  DOI: 10.1007/JHEP02(2018)014

  
  

  QMRO: https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/33904
• Bombini A, Galliani A, Giusto S et al. (2018). Unitary 4-point correlators from classical geometries. nameOfConference

  
  

  DOI: 10.1140/epjc/s10052-017-5492-3

  
  

  QMRO: https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/32412
• Galliani A, Giusto S, Russo R (2017). Holographic 4-point correlators with heavy states. nameOfConference

  
  

  DOI: 10.1007/JHEP10(2017)040

  
  

  QMRO: https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/28535
• SHIGEMORI M, Bena I, Giusto S et al. (2016). Smooth horizonless geometries deep inside the black-hole regime. nameOfConference

  
  

  DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.117.201601

  
  

  QMRO: https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/17699
• Galliani A, Giusto S, Moscato E et al. (2016). Correlators at large c without information loss. nameOfConference

  
  

  DOI: 10.1007/JHEP09(2016)065

  
  

  QMRO: https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/15924
• D Appollonio G, Di Vecchia P, Russo R et al. (2016). A microscopic description of absorption in high-energy string-brane collisions. nameOfConference

  
  

  DOI: 10.1007/JHEP03(2016)030

  
  

  QMRO: https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/12044
• Pioline B, Russo R (2015). Infrared divergences and harmonic anomalies in the two-loop superstring effective action. nameOfConference

  
  

  DOI: 10.1007/JHEP12(2015)102

  
  

  QMRO: https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/11314
• Giusto S, Moscato E, Russo R (2015). AdS3 holography for 1/4 and 1/8 BPS geometries. nameOfConference

  
  

  DOI: 10.1007/JHEP11(2015)004

  
  

  QMRO: https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/11313
• Magnea L, Playle S, Russo R et al. (2015). Two-loop Yang-Mills diagrams from superstring amplitudes. nameOfConference

  
  

  DOI: 10.1007/JHEP06(2015)146

  
  

  QMRO: https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/8010
• D’Appollonio G, Di Vecchia P, Russo R et al. (2015). Regge behavior saves string theory from causality violations. nameOfConference

  
  

  DOI: 10.1007/JHEP05(2015)144

  
  

  QMRO: https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/8123
• Bena I, Giusto S, Russo R et al. (2015). Habemus superstratum! A constructive proof of the existence of superstrata. nameOfConference

  
  

  DOI: 10.1007/JHEP05(2015)110

  
  

  QMRO: https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/7801
• D’Hoker E, Green MB, Pioline B et al. (2015). Matching the D 6ℛ4 interaction at two-loops. nameOfConference

  
  

  DOI: 10.1007/JHEP01(2015)031

  
  

  QMRO: https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/9676
• Giusto S, Russo R (2014). Entanglement entropy and D1-D5 geometries. nameOfConference

  
  

  DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevD.90.066004

  
  

  QMRO: https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/8342
• Giusto S, Russo R (2014). Superdescendants of the D1D5 CFT and their dual 3-charge geometries. nameOfConference

  
  

  DOI: 10.1007/JHEP03(2014)007

  
  

  QMRO: https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/7803
• D Appollonio G, Di Vecchia P, Russo R et al. (2014). The leading eikonal operator in string-brane scattering at high energy. Breaking of supersymmetry and ultraviolet divergences in extended supergravity

  
  

  DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-03774-5_8

  
  

  QMRO: https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/12620
• D'Appollonio G, Di Vecchia P, Russo R et al. (2013). Microscopic unitary description of tidal excitations in high-energy string-brane collisions. nameOfConference

  
  

  DOI: 10.1007/JHEP11(2013)126

  
  

  QMRO: https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/9675
• Giusto S, Martucci L, Petrini M et al. (2013). 6D microstate geometries from 10D structures. nameOfConference

  
  

  DOI: 10.1016/j.nuclphysb.2013.08.018

  
  

  QMRO: https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/9658
• Magnea L, Playle S, Russo R et al. (2013). Multi-loop open string amplitudes and their field theory limit. nameOfConference

  
  

  DOI: 10.1007/JHEP09(2013)081

  
  

  QMRO: https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/8526
• Giusto S, Russo R (2013). Perturbative superstrata. nameOfConference

  
  

  DOI: 10.1016/j.nuclphysb.2012.12.012

  
  

  QMRO: https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/9651
• Giusto S, Russo R (2012). Adding new hair to the 3-charge black ring. nameOfConference

  
  

  DOI: 10.1088/0264-9381/29/8/085006

  
  

  QMRO: qmroHref
• Giusto S, Russo R, Turton D (2011). New D1-D5-P geometries from string amplitudes. nameOfConference

  
  

  DOI: 10.1007/JHEP11(2011)062

  
  

  QMRO: qmroHref
• Black W, Russo R, Turton D (2010). The supergravity fields for a D-brane with a travelling wave from string amplitudes. nameOfConference

  
  

  DOI: 10.1016/j.physletb.2010.09.059

  
  

  QMRO: qmroHref
• D'Appollonio G, Di Vecchia P, Russo R et al. (2010). High-energy string-brane scattering leading eikonal and beyond. nameOfConference

  
  

  DOI: 10.1007/JHEP11(2010)100

  
  

  QMRO: qmroHref
• McGarrie M, Russo R (2010). General gauge mediation in five dimensions. nameOfConference

  
  

  DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevD.82.035001

  
  

  QMRO: qmroHref
• Giusto S, Morales JF, Russo R (2010). D1D5 microstate geometries from string amplitudes. nameOfConference

  
  

  DOI: 10.1007/JHEP03(2010)130

  
  

  QMRO: qmroHref
• Georgiou G, Gili VL, Russo R (2009). Operator mixing and three-point functions in N=4 SYM. nameOfConference

  
  

  DOI: 10.1088/1126-6708/2009/10/009

  
  

  QMRO: qmroHref
• Del Debbio L, Kerrane E, Russo R (2009). Mass corrections in string theory and lattice field theory. nameOfConference

  
  

  DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevD.80.025003

  
  

  QMRO: qmroHref
• Georgiou G, Gili VL, Russo R (2009). Operator Mixing and the AdS/CFT correspondence.. nameOfConference

  
  

  DOI: 10.1088/1126-6708/2009/01/082

  
  

  QMRO: qmroHref
• Duo D, Russo R, Sciuto S (2007). New twist field couplings from the partition function for multiply wrapped D-branes. nameOfConference

  
  

  DOI: 10.1088/1126-6708/2007/12/042

  
  

  QMRO: qmroHref
• Russo R, Sciuto S (2007). The twisted open string partition function and Yukawa couplings. nameOfConference

  
  

  DOI: 10.1088/1126-6708/2007/04/030

  
  

  QMRO: qmroHref
• Bertolini M, Billo M, Lerda A et al. (2006). Brane world effective actions for D-branes with fluxes. nameOfConference

  
  

  DOI: 10.1016/j.nuclphysb.2006.02.044

  
  

  QMRO: qmroHref
• Magnea L, Russo R, Sciuto S (2006). Two-loop Euler-Heisenberg effective actions from charged open strings. nameOfConference

  
  

  DOI: 10.1142/S0217751X06025110

  
  

  QMRO: qmroHref
• Lee S, Russo R (2005). Holographic cubic vertex in the pp-wave. nameOfConference

  
  

  DOI: 10.1016/j.nuclphysb.2004.10.052

  
  

  QMRO: qmroHref
• Petrini M, Russo R, Tanzini A (2004). The AdS/CFT correspondence in the PP-wave limit. nameOfConference

  
  

  DOI: 10.1002/prop.200410160

  
  

  QMRO: qmroHref
• Russo R, Tanzini A (2004). The duality between IIB string theory on PP-wave and N=4 SYM: a status report. nameOfConference

  
  

  DOI: 10.1088/0264-9381/21/10/001

  
  

  QMRO: qmroHref
• RUSSO R, Di Vecchia P, Tanzini A et al. (2004). The three-string vertex and the AdS / CFT duality in the PP-wave limit. nameOfConference

  
  

  DOI: 10.1088/0264-9381/21/9/001

  
  

  QMRO: qmroHref
• Chu CS, Khoze VV, Petrini M et al. (2004). A note on string interaction on the pp-wave background. nameOfConference

  
  

  DOI: 10.1088/0264-9381/21/8/006

  
  

  QMRO: qmroHref
• Russo R, Sciuto S (2003). Twisted determinants on higher genus Riemann surfaces. nameOfConference

  
  

  DOI: 10.1016/j.nuclphysb.2003.07.016

  
  

  QMRO: qmroHref
• Chu CS, Petrini M, Russo R et al. (2003). String interactions and discrete symmetries of the pp-wave background. nameOfConference

  
  

  DOI: 10.1088/0264-9381/20/12/311

  
  

  QMRO: qmroHref
• Chu CS, Petrini M, Russo R et al. (2003). String interactions and discrete symmetries of the pp-wave background. nameOfConference

  
  

  DOI: 10.1002/prop.200310083

  
  

  QMRO: qmroHref
• Chu CS, Russo R, Sciuto S (2002). Remarks on the calculations of charged open string amplitudes: the 1-loop tadpole. nameOfConference

  
  

  DOI: 10.1002/1521-3978(200209)50:8/9<871::AID-PROP871>3.0.CO;2-R

  
  

  QMRO: qmroHref
• Armoni A, Russo R (2001). Noncommutative gauge theories and the cosmological constant. nameOfConference

  
  

  DOI: 10.1103/physrevd.64.085016

  
  

  QMRO: qmroHref
• Chu CS, Russo R (2001). Multiloop noncommutative open string theory. nameOfConference

  
  

  DOI: 10.1063/1.1419324

  
  

  QMRO: qmroHref
• RUSSO R, Zaffaroni A, Petrini M (2001). N=2 Gauge Theories and Systems with Fractional Branes. nameOfConference

  
  

  DOI: 10.1016/S0550-3213(01)00270-X

  
  

  QMRO: qmroHref
• Frizzo A, Magnea L, Russo R (2001). Systematics of one-loop Yang-Mills diagrams from bosonic string amplitudes. nameOfConference

  
  

  DOI: 10.1016/s0550-3213(01)00187-0

  
  

  QMRO: qmroHref
• Chu CS, Russo R (2001). Multiloop noncommutative open string theory and their QFT limit. nameOfConference

  
  

  DOI: 10.1142/S0217732301003280

  
  

  QMRO: qmroHref
• Chu CS, Russo R (2001). Multiloop noncommutative open string theory and their QFT limit. nameOfConference

  
  

  DOI: 10.1002/1521-3978(200105)49:4/6<633::aid-prop633>3.0.co;2-m

  
  

  QMRO: qmroHref
• Armoni A, Russo R (2001). Noncommutative gauge theories and the cosmological constant. nameOfConference

  
  

  DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevD.64.085016

  
  

  QMRO: qmroHref

Supervision

This is not an exhaustive list and I would be happy to discuss other project possibilities.

I'm currently the PhD advisor of Marcel Hughes and supervised the PhD projects of

• Dario Duò (graduated in 2009)
• William Black (graduated in 2012)
• Sam Playle (graduated in 2014)
• Emanuele Moscato (graduated in 2017)
• Nejc Ceplak (graduated in 2020)

I co-supervised the work of Arnau Koemans Collado (graduated in 2020), Moritz McGarrie and David Turton (graduated in 2011)