English

Fluid dynamics from the Boltzmann equation using a maximum entropy distribution

High Energy Physics - Phenomenology 2023-08-03 v2 Nuclear Theory

Abstract

Using the recently developed ``Maximum Entropy'' (or ``least biased'') distribution function to truncate the moment hierarchy arising from kinetic theory, we formulate a far-from-equilibrium macroscopic theory that provides the possibility of describing both free-streaming and hydrodynamic regimes of heavy-ion collisions within a single framework. Unlike traditional hydrodynamic theories that include viscous corrections to finite order, the present formulation incorporates contributions to all orders in shear and bulk inverse Reynolds numbers, allowing it to handle large dissipative fluxes. By considering flow profiles relevant for heavy-ion collisions (Bjorken and Gubser flows), we demonstrate that the present approach provides excellent agreement with underlying kinetic theory throughout the fluid's evolution and, especially, in far-off-equilibrium regimes where traditional hydrodynamics breaks down.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2307.10769,
  title  = {Fluid dynamics from the Boltzmann equation using a maximum entropy distribution},
  author = {Chandrodoy Chattopadhyay and Ulrich Heinz and Thomas Schaefer},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2307.10769},
  year   = {2023}
}

Comments

30 pages, 19 figures (added new references; a couple of minor corrections made in text)

R2 v1 2026-06-28T11:35:46.829Z