2026/08/03 by Kento Yoshida, Shujun Zhao, Tetsufumi Hirano
Physics and Astronomy · #nucl-th #hep-ph #nucl-ex
12 pages, 1 figure
arxiv created 2026/08/03 · arxiv updated 2026/08/04
We derive the necessary and sufficient conditions for nonlinear causality in viscous anisotropic hydrodynamics (VAH) within the approximation that neglects small correction terms. Relativistic hydrodynamics provides a successful description of the space-time evolution of the matter produced in relativistic heavy-ion collisions, yet the earliest stage at which a hydrodynamic description becomes valid remains an open question. VAH has been proposed as an extension of conventional viscous hydrodynamics (VH) that can accommodate the large pressure anisotropies of the early-time dynamics. However, in such far-from-equilibrium regimes, the nonlinear causality of the theory is not guaranteed. By analyzing the characteristic velocities of the VAH equations of motion, we derive a set of inequalities that ensures causal signal propagation in all directions. The resulting conditions take a remarkably simple form and admit a clear physical interpretation in terms of the characteristic modes of the anisotropic medium. These results establish the regime of validity of VAH and provide a foundation for its application to the early-time dynamics of relativistic heavy-ion collisions.