Quasi-linear transport approach to equilibration of quark-gluon plasmas

TL;DR

This paper derives transport equations for quark-gluon plasma using a quasi-linear approximation, analyzing both stable and unstable systems, and discusses the rapid equilibration process especially in two-stream configurations.

Contribution

It introduces a derivation of transport equations in Balescu-Lenard or Fokker-Planck form for quark-gluon plasma under longitudinal chromoelectric fields, including stability analysis.

Findings

Isotropic plasma remains stable under the derived equations.

Two-stream system exhibits rapid dissolution of distribution peaks.

Equilibration occurs quickly in unstable two-stream configurations.

Abstract

We derive the transport equations of quark-gluon plasma in the quasi-linear approximation. The equations are either of the Balescu-Lenard or Fokker-Planck form. The plasma's dynamics is assumed to be governed by longitudinal chromoelectric fields. The isotropic plasma, which is stable, and the two-stream system, which is unstable, are considered in detail. A process of equilibration is briefly discussed in both cases. The peaks of the two-stream distribution are shown to rapidly dissolve in time.