New exact solution of the relativistic Boltzmann equation and its hydrodynamic limit

Phys Rev Lett. 2014 Nov 14;113(20):202301. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.113.202301. Epub 2014 Nov 14.

Abstract

We present an exact solution of the relativistic Boltzmann equation for a system undergoing boost-invariant longitudinal and azimuthally symmetric transverse flow ("Gubser flow"). The resulting exact nonequilibrium dynamics is compared to first and second order relativistic hydrodynamic approximations for various shear viscosity to entropy density ratios. This novel solution can be used to test the validity and accuracy of different hydrodynamic approximations in conditions similar to those generated in relativistic heavy-ion collisions.