Viscous coefficients of a hot pion gas

Abstract

The steps essentially involved in the evaluation of transport coefficients in linear response theory using Kubo formulas are to relate the defining {\em retarded} correlation function to the corresponding {\em time-ordered} one and to evaluate the latter in the conventional perturbation expansion. Here we evaluate the viscosities of a pion gas carrying out both the steps in the {\em real time} formulation. We also obtain the viscous coefficients by solving the relativistic transport equation in the Chapman-Enskog approximation to leading order. An in-medium $\pi \pi$ cross-section in used in which spectral modifications are introduced in the propagator of the exchanged $\rho$.

Comments: Contribution to Special Issue of Advances in High-Energy Physics on "Physics of Quark Gluon Plasma: An Update and Status Report"