Relativistic Shock Waves in Viscous Gluon Matter

Journal Article · Fri Jul 17 04:00:00 EDT 2009 · Physical Review Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVLETT.103.032301· OSTI ID:21347055

Bouras, I; Xu, Z; El, A; Fochler, O; Greiner, C ^[1]; Molnar, E; Niemi, H ^[2]; Rischke, D H ^[1]

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1. Institut fuer Theoretische Physik, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universitaet, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 1, D-60438 Frankfurt am Main (Germany)
2. Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies, Ruth-Moufang-Strasse 1, D-60438 Frankfurt am Main (Germany)

We solve the relativistic Riemann problem in viscous gluon matter employing a microscopic parton cascade. We demonstrate the transition from ideal to viscous shock waves by varying the shear viscosity to entropy density ratio eta/s from zero to infinity. We show that an eta/s ratio larger than 0.2 prevents the development of well-defined shock waves on time scales typical for ultrarelativistic heavy-ion collisions. Comparisons with viscous hydrodynamic calculations confirm our findings.

• OSTI ID: 21347055
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters, Journal Name: Physical Review Letters Journal Issue: 3 Vol. 103; ISSN 0031-9007; ISSN PRLTAO
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS
BOSONS
ENERGY RANGE
ENTROPY
GLUONS
HEAVY ION REACTIONS
MATTER
NUCLEAR REACTIONS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
RELATIVISTIC RANGE
SHOCK WAVES
THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES