2012/09/30 by F. Becattini, Leonardo Tinti, L. Tinti · 48 citations
Mathematics · Physics and Astronomy · #Cauchy stress tensor #Classical mechanics #Cosmology and Gravitation Theories #Dissipative system #Entropy (arrow of time) #Entropy production #Gas Dynamics and Kinetic Theory #High-Energy Particle Collisions Research #Mathematics #Non-equilibrium thermodynamics #Physics #Quantum #Quantum electrodynamics #Quantum mechanics #Spin (aerodynamics) #Tensor (intrinsic definition) #Thermodynamics #gr-qc #hep-th
paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physrevd.87.025029
published in Physical review. D. Particles, fields, gravitation, and cosmology/Physical review. D. Particles and fields 87(2) (American Physical Society) · 18 pages. Final version accepted for publication in Phys Rev D
arxiv created 2013/01/11 · openalex publication_date 2013/01/25 · arxiv updated 2013/05/29 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
It is shown that different pairs of stress-energy and spin tensors of quantum relativistic fields related by a pseudo-gauge transformation, i.e., differing by a divergence, imply different mean values of physical quantities in thermodynamical nonequilibrium situations. Most notably, transport coefficients and the total entropy production rate are affected by the choice of the spin tensor of the relativistic quantum field theory under consideration. Therefore, at least in principle, it should be possible to disprove a fundamental stress-energy tensor and/or to show that a fundamental spin tensor exists by means of a dissipative thermodynamical experiment.