A numerical relativity approach to the initial value problem in asymptotically Anti-de Sitter spacetime for plasma thermalization - an ADM formulation

TL;DR

This paper develops a numerical relativity method using ADM formalism to solve Einstein's equations in Anti-de Sitter spacetime, facilitating the study of strongly coupled plasma thermalization via holography.

Contribution

It introduces a novel ADM-based scheme with a specific lapse function choice for efficient horizon excision in AdS simulations.

Findings

Detailed ADM formalism implementation for AdS spacetime.

Explicit initial state and boundary condition formulations.

Method for extracting gauge theory energy-momentum tensor.

Abstract

This article studies a numerical relativity approach to the initial value problem in Anti-de Sitter spacetime relevant for dual non-equilibrium evolution of strongly coupled non-Abelian plasma undergoing Bjorken expansion. In order to use initial conditions for the metric obtained in arXiv:0906.4423 we introduce new, ADM formalism-based scheme for numerical integration of Einstein's equations with negative cosmological constant. The key novel element of this approach is the choice of lapse function vanishing at fixed radial position, enabling, if needed, efficient horizon excision. Various physical aspects of the gauge theory thermalization process in this setup have been outlined in our companion article arXiv:1103.3452. In this work we focus on the gravitational side of the problem and present full technical details of our setup. We discuss in particular the ADM formalism, the explicit form of initial states, the boundary conditions for the metric on the inner and outer edges of the simulation domain, the relation between boundary and bulk notions of time, the procedure to extract the gauge theory energy-momentum tensor and non-equilibrium apparent horizon entropy, as well as the choice of point for freezing the lapse. Finally, we comment on various features of the initial profiles we consider.