We investigate aspects of holographic duals to time-like warped AdS_3 space-times--which include Gödel's universe--in string theory. Using worldsheet techniques similar to those that have been applied to AdS_3 backgrounds, we are able to identify space-time symmetry algebras that act on the dual boundary theory. In particular, we always find at least one Virasoro algebra with computable central charge. Interestingly, there exists a dense set of points in the moduli space of these models in which there is actually a second commuting Virasoro algebra, typically with different central charge than the first. We analyze the supersymmetry of the backgrounds, finding related enhancements, and comment on possible interpretations of these results. We also perform an asymptotic symmetry analysis at the level of supergravity, providing additional support for the worldsheet analysis.

We study abelian and non-abelian orbifolds of the ABJM model. We compute the precise moduli space of these models by analyzing the classical BPS equations for the theory on the cylinder, which include classical solutions of magnetic monopole operators. These determine the chiral ring of the theory, and thus they provide the complete set of order parameters determining the classical vacua of the theory. We show that the proper quantization of these semiclassical solutions gives us the topology of moduli space, including the additional quotient information due to the Chern-Simons levels. In general, we find that in the dual M-theory setup, the M-theory fiber is divided by the product of the Chern-Simons level times the order of the orbifold group, even in the non-abelian case. This depends non-trivially on how the different Chern-Simons terms have different levels in these constructions. We also see a direct relation in this setup between the Chern-Simons levels of the different groups and fluxes for fractional brane cycles. We also show that the problem of the moduli space can be much more easily analyzed by using the method of images and representation theory of crossed product algebras rather than dealing only with the quiver theory data.

It is observed that three-dimensional Gödel black holes can be promoted to exact string theory backgrounds through an orbifold of an hyperbolic asymmetric marginal deformation of the SL(2,R) WZW model. Tachyons are found in the spectrum of long strings. Uplifting these solutions in type IIB supergravity, extremal black holes are shown to preserve one supersymmetry in accordance with the BTZ limit. We also make connections with some recently discussed warped black hole solutions of topologically massive gravity, showing that they actually correspond to quotients of spacelike squashed AdS_3.

In all the odd dimensions which allow Majorana spinors, we consider a gravitational Lagrangian possessing local Poincare invariance and given by the dimensional continuation of the Euler density in one dimension less. We show that the local supersymmetric extension of this Lagrangian requires the algebra to be the maximal extension of the N=1 super-Poincare algebra. By maximal, we mean that in the right hand side of the anticommutator of the Majorana super charge appear all the possible central charges. The resulting action defines a Chern-Simons gauge theory for the maximal extension of the super-Poincare algebra. In these dimensions, we address the same problem for the AdS invariant gravity and we derive its supersymmetric extension for the minimal super-AdS algebra. The connection between both models is realized at the algebraic level through an expansion of their corresponding Lie super algebras. Within a procedure consistent with the expansion of the algebras, the local supersymmetric extension of the Poincare invariant gravity Lagrangian is derived from the super AdS one.

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