Asymptotic perfect fluid dynamics as a consequence of AdS/CFT

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that in the context of AdS/CFT, the late-time behavior of strongly coupled gauge theories naturally converges to perfect fluid hydrodynamics, with the gravity dual represented by a moving black hole in higher dimensions.

Contribution

It shows that perfect fluid dynamics emerges as the unique nonsingular asymptotic solution of Einstein equations in AdS/CFT, clarifying the gravity dual interpretation.

Findings

Perfect fluid behavior arises at large times in strongly coupled gauge theories.

Nonsingular solutions correspond to perfect fluid hydrodynamics, ruling out other asymptotic behaviors.

Deviations from perfect fluid dynamics are possible at subasymptotic times.

Abstract

We study the dynamics of strongly interacting gauge-theory matter (modelling quark-gluon plasma) in a boost-invariant setting using the AdS/CFT correspondence. Using Fefferman-Graham coordinates and with the help of holographic renormalization, we show that perfect fluid hydrodynamics emerges at large times as the unique nonsingular asymptotic solution of the nonlinear Einstein equations in the bulk. The gravity dual can be interpreted as a black hole moving off in the fifth dimension. Asymptotic solutions different from perfect fluid behaviour can be ruled out by the appearance of curvature singularities in the dual bulk geometry. Subasymptotic deviations from perfect fluid behaviour remain possible within the same framework.