Chiral anomaly and local polarization effect from quantum kinetic approach

TL;DR

This paper develops a quantum kinetic framework to derive the chiral magnetic and vortical effects, chiral anomaly, and local polarization phenomena in fermionic systems under electromagnetic fields, relevant for heavy-ion collisions.

Contribution

It introduces a power expansion scheme for the Wigner function satisfying quantum kinetic equations, linking chiral effects and local polarization to this formalism.

Findings

Derivation of vector and axial-vector currents from the Wigner function.

Natural emergence of chiral magnetic and vortical effects from the quantum kinetic approach.

Prediction of local polarization effect along vorticity in heavy-ion collisions.

Abstract

A power expansion scheme is set up to determine the Wigner function that satisfies the quantum kinetic equation for spin-1/2 charged fermions in a background electromagnetic field. Vector and axial-vector current induced by magnetic field and vorticity are obtained simultaneously from the Wigner function. The chiral magnetic and vortical effect and chiral anomaly are shown as natural consequences of the quantum kinetic equation. The axial-vector current induced by vorticity is argued to lead to a local polarization effect along the vorticity direction in heavy-ion collisions.