The Chiral Heat Effect

TL;DR

This paper introduces the chiral heat effect, a novel phenomenon where thermal currents are induced transversely to temperature gradients in chiral theories, with potential experimental implications in QCD.

Contribution

It identifies and analyzes the chiral heat effect, a new topological thermal response in (3+1)-dimensional chiral theories, supported by holographic models and theoretical considerations.

Findings

Thermal current is induced transverse to temperature gradient in flat space.

The effect is related to the chiral magnetic effect and topological properties.

Potential observation in QCD experiments.

Abstract

We consider the thermal response of a (3+1)-dimensional theory with a chiral anomaly on a curved space motivated by the chiral magnetic effect. We find a new phenomenon, called the chiral heat effect, such that the thermal current is induced transverse to a gradient of the temperature even on a flat space. This effect is expected to be observed in QCD experiment as well as the chiral magnetic effect. We study a similar topological effect on the spacetime with a torsion. A holographic construction is also discussed with the D3/D7 and the Sakai-Sugimoto models.