Benedicks effect in a relativistic simple fluid

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that in relativistic single-component fluids, an electric field induces a heat flux, a phenomenon that disappears in the non-relativistic limit, revealing a novel transport effect with potential plasma applications.

Contribution

It introduces the Benedicks effect in relativistic fluids, showing electric fields can generate heat flux in single-component systems, which is a new finding.

Findings

Electric field induces heat flux in relativistic fluids

Effect vanishes in non-relativistic limit

Potential applications in hot plasma transport properties

Abstract

According to standard thermophysical theories, cross effects are mostly present in multicomponent systems. In this paper we show that for relativistic fluids an electric field generates a heat flux even in the single component case. In the non-relativistic limit the effect vanishes and Fourier's law is recovered. This result is novel and may have applications in the transport properties of very hot plasmas.