Weak and strong coupling equilibration in nonabelian gauge theories

Dec 16, 2015
24 pages
Published in:
  • JHEP 04 (2016) 031
  • Published: Apr 6, 2016
e-Print:
Report number:
  • CERN-PH-TH-2015-304,
  • MIT-CTP-4750

Citations per year

2015201720192021202305101520
Abstract: (arXiv)
We present a direct comparison studying equilibration through kinetic theory at weak coupling and through holography at strong coupling in the same set-up. The set-up starts with a homogeneous thermal state, which then smoothly transitions through an out-of-equilibrium phase to an expanding system undergoing boost-invariant flow. This first apples-to-apples comparison of equilibration provides a benchmark for similar equilibration processes in heavy-ion collisions, where the equilibration mechanism is still under debate. We find that results at weak and strong coupling can be smoothly connected by simple, empirical power-laws for the viscosity, equilibration time and entropy production of the system.
Note:
  • 24 pages, 9 figures
  • AdS-CFT Correspondence
  • Holography and quark-gluon plasmas
  • Perturbative QCD
  • Quark-Gluon Plasma
  • gauge field theory: nonabelian
  • entropy: production
  • heavy ion: scattering
  • strong coupling
  • weak coupling
  • holography