Hydrodynamics with Triangle Anomalies

D. Son, Piotr Surówka

Physical Review Letters · 2009 · 948 citations · 12 references

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TL;DR

The study examines hydrodynamics in theories with quantum anomalies for global currents. The authors discuss the relevance of this new hydrodynamic term for physical situations, including heavy ion collisions. A previously discarded term in the conserved current is required by triangle anomalies and the second law, producing new effects such as chiral separation in rotating fluids at nonzero chemical potential, with kinetic coefficients uniquely determined by anomaly coefficients and the equation of state.

Abstract

We consider the hydrodynamic regime of theories with quantum anomalies for global currents. We show that a hitherto discarded term in the conserve current is not only allowed by symmetries, but is in fact required by triangle anomalies and the second law of thermodynamics. This term leads to a number of new effects, one of which is chiral separation in a rotating fluid at nonzero chemical potential. The new kinetic coefficients can be expressed, in a unique fashion, through the anomalies coefficients and the equation of state. We briefly discuss the relevance of this new hydrodynamic term for physical situations, including heavy ion collisions.

References

12