Linear stability analysis of Israel-Stewart theory in the case of a nonzero background charge

TL;DR

This paper extends the linear stability analysis of Israel-Stewart theory to include a nonzero background charge, revealing how background charge influences charge-diffusion coefficients and stability regions.

Contribution

It introduces the effect of nonzero background charge on Israel-Stewart theory stability and performs a systematic parameter study of stability and causality.

Findings

Charge-diffusion coefficient can increase up to four times with infinite background charge.

Identifies stability and causality regions in the parameter space.

Background charge modifies the numeric value of charge-diffusion coefficient.

Abstract

Linear stability of Israel-Stewart theory in the presence of net-charge diffusion was investigated in [Phys.~Rev.~D 102 (2020) 116009] for the case of a massless, classical gas of noninteracting particles. However, in that work only a vanishing net-charge background was considered. In this work, we extend that study to the case of a nonvanishing background charge. We find that this effectively results in a change of the numeric value of the charge-diffusion coefficient, in a way that when the background charge goes to infinity, this coefficient can become at most four times its value at zero background charge. We also extend the analysis of [Phys.~Rev.~D 102 (2020) 116009] by performing a systematic parameter study in the plane of charge-diffusion coefficient vs.\ the coupling term between shear-stress and net-charge diffusion. In this plane, we identify regions where the solutions remain stable and causal and where they become acausal and/or unstable.