DOE OSTI2017
Investigating a variety of closing schemes to the infinite hierarchy of momentum moments of the exactly solvable Boltzmann equation for systems undergoing Gubser flow, we study the precision with which the resulting hydrodynamic equations reproduce the exact evolution of hydrodynamic moments of the distribution function. We find that anisotropic hydrodynamics, obtained by expanding the distribution function around a dynamically evolving locally anisotropic background whose evolution is matched to exactly reproduce the macroscopic pressure anisotropy caused by the different longitudinal and transverse expansion rates in Gubser ow, provides the most accurate macroscopic description of the microscopic kinetic evolution. This confirms a similar earlier finding for Bjorken ow [Molnar, Niemi and Rischke, Phys. Rev. D 94, 125003 (2016)]. Also, we explain the physics behind this optimal matching procedure and show that one can efficiently correct for a nonoptimized matching choice by adding a residual shear stress to the energy-momentum tensor whose evolution is again determined by the Boltzmann equation. Further insights to guide the optimal choice of a macroscopic anisotropic hydrodynamic framework for strongly-coupled systems that do not admit a microscopic kinetic description are reported.
73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗