Surprises in relativistic matter in a magnetic field

TL;DR

This paper reviews recent progress in understanding how relativistic matter behaves in magnetic fields, focusing on the chiral shift parameter's role in axial currents and its implications for astrophysics and heavy ion collisions.

Contribution

It highlights the generation of the chiral shift parameter in relativistic matter and its effects, providing insights applicable to gauge theories and observable phenomena.

Findings

Chiral shift parameter contributes to axial current density.

Does not modify the axial anomaly relation.

Impacts properties of compact stars and chiral magnetic effect.

Abstract

A short review of recent advances in understanding the dynamics of relativistic matter in a magnetic field is presented. The emphasis is on the dynamics related to the generation of the chiral shift parameter in the normal ground state. We argue that the chiral shift parameter contributes to the axial current density, but does not modify the conventional axial anomaly relation. The analysis based on gauge invariant regularization schemes in the Nambu-Jona-Lasinio model suggests that these findings should be valid also in gauge theories. It is pointed out that the chiral shift parameter can affect observable properties of compact stars and modify the key features of the chiral magnetic effect in heavy ion collisions.