Anomalous gravitomagnetic moment and non-universality of the axial vortical effect at finite temperature

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that quantum electrodynamics interactions at finite temperature induce a non-zero anomalous gravitomagnetic moment, affecting the axial vortical effect and potentially breaking the Einstein equivalence principle in quantum field theory.

Contribution

It reveals the renormalization of the gravitomagnetic moment at finite temperature and its impact on axial currents and polarization phenomena in relativistic fluids.

Findings

Non-zero anomalous gravitomagnetic moment at finite temperature

Radiative corrections influence axial currents in vorticity

Potential effects on polarized hadron production in heavy-ion collisions

Abstract

The coupling between the spin of a massive Dirac fermion and the angular momentum of the medium, i.e. the gravitomagnetic moment, is shown here to be renormalized by QED interactions at finite temperature. This means that the anomalous gravitomagnetic moment (AGM) does not vanish, and implies that thermal effects can break the Einstein equivalence principle in quantum field theory, as argued previously. We also show that the AGM causes radiative corrections to the axial current of massive fermions induced by vorticity in quantum relativistic fluids, similarly to the previous findings for massless fermions. The radiative QCD effects on the AGM should significantly affect the production of polarized hadrons in heavy-ion collisions.