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Updated: May 3, 2026
05:20
Characterization of Thermal Transport in One-dimensional Solid Materials
Published on: January 26, 2014
22.0K
Inhomogeneous thermalization in strongly coupled field theories
V Balasubramanian1, A Bernamonti2, J de Boer3
1David Rittenhouse Laboratory, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA and Laboratoire de Physique Théorique, École Normale Supérieure, 75005 Paris, France.
Physical Review Letters
|January 31, 2014
Summary
We theoretically describe early-time quark-gluon plasma evolution using the AdS/CFT correspondence. Our findings show free streaming accurately models this non-equilibrium phase, matching hydrodynamic predictions near the end of the early time interval.
Area of Science:
- High-energy physics
- Quantum chromodynamics
- String theory
Background:
- Quark-gluon plasma (QGP) creation and evolution are typically modeled using initial state models, nonhydrodynamic early time evolution, and hydrodynamics.
- Understanding the nonhydrodynamic early time evolution is crucial for a complete description of QGP.
Purpose of the Study:
- To theoretically investigate the nonhydrodynamic early time evolution of the quark-gluon plasma in the presence of inhomogeneities.
- To utilize the AdS/CFT correspondence as a tool for studying far-from-equilibrium strongly coupled systems.
Main Methods:
- Employing the AdS/CFT correspondence to model the early time evolution of the quark-gluon plasma.
- Performing analytic computations to analyze the behavior of the stress tensor during the early time interval.
- Comparing the AdS description with free streaming and second-order hydrodynamic predictions.
Main Results:
- The AdS description of the early time evolution is found to be well-matched by free streaming.
- The computed stress tensor agrees with the second-order hydrodynamic stress tensor near the end of the reliable analytic computation interval.
- The stress tensor is consistent with local energy density and fluid velocity.
Conclusions:
- Free streaming provides a good theoretical description for the nonhydrodynamic early time evolution of the quark-gluon plasma.
- The AdS/CFT correspondence offers a powerful framework for studying far-from-equilibrium strongly coupled systems.
- The employed techniques can be extended to other areas of physics involving far-from-equilibrium dynamics.
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