Causality of the Einstein-Israel-Stewart Theory with Bulk Viscosity [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/1901.06701


We prove that the Einstein-Israel-Stewart equations, describing the dynamics of a relativistic fluid with bulk viscosity and nonzero baryon charge (without shear viscosity or baryon diffusion) dynamically coupled to gravity, are causal in the full nonlinear regime. We also show that these equations can be written as a first-order symmetric hyperbolic system, implying local existence and uniqueness of solutions to the equations of motion. We use an arbitrary equation of state and do not make any simplifying symmetry or near-equilibrium assumption, requiring only physically natural conditions on the fields. These results pave the way for the inclusion of bulk viscosity effects in simulations of gravitational-wave signals coming from neutron star mergers.

Read this paper on arXiv…

F. Bemfica, M. Disconzi and J. Noronha
Wed, 23 Jan 19
60/111

Comments: 8 pages