Asymptotically free AdS3/CFT2

We propose a new AdS3/CFT2 duality, in which the bulk string theory has a target spacetime AdS3 times a squashed three-sphere S♭3\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$ {\mathbbm{S}}_{\flat}^3 $$\end{document}, and the dual CFT2 is a symmetric product of sigma models on ℝϕ×S♭3\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$ {\mathbbm{S}}_{\flat}^3 $$\end{document}, deformed by a ϕ-dependent ℤ2 twist operator. The duality maps the asymptotic region of AdS3 to the region ϕ → ∞, where the twist interaction in the CFT2 turns off. The AdS3 backgrounds in question have RAdS< ℓs, and so lie on the string side of the string/black hole correspondence transition. As a consequence, the high energy density of states consists of a string gas in AdS3 rather than an ensemble of BTZ black holes. This property allows us to derive the dual CFT2 by a systematic analysis of the worldsheet string theory on AdS3.