Energy dissipation in wave propagation in general relativistic plasma

TL;DR

This paper investigates how energy dissipates in magnetohydrodynamical waves within an expanding general relativistic plasma background, revealing a unique, model-dependent energy loss mechanism absent in Newtonian physics.

Contribution

It introduces the concept of energy dissipation due to background expansion in relativistic plasma waves, a phenomenon not observed in classical Newtonian frameworks.

Findings

Energy dissipates as waves propagate in an expanding relativistic background.

Energy loss depends on the model and number of dimensions.

The dissipation mechanism is non-mechanical and unique to relativistic settings.

Abstract

Based on a recent communication by the present authors the question of energy dissipation in magneto hydrodynamical waves in an inflating background in general relativity is examined. It is found that the expanding background introduces a sort of dragging force on the propagating wave such that unlike the Newtonnian case energy gets dissipated as it progresses. This loss in energy having no special relativistic analogue is, however, not mechanical in nature as in elastic wave. It is also found that the energy loss is model dependent and also depends on the number of dimensions.