Dynamical equation for quark spin polarization in a rotating medium
Phys. Rev. D 114, 023011 – Published 6 July, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/5pvc-myn4
Abstract
In noncentral relativistic heavy-ion collisions, the produced quark-gluon plasma behaves approximately as a rotating fluid due to the system’s initial angular momentum. In this rotating fluid, the spins of quarks become polarized due to the coupling between spin and angular momentum, as well as random spin-spin interactions. Since the Landau-Lifshitz (LL) equation effectively describes the spin polarization of fermions in a medium with a magnetic field, we derive a phenomenological equation analogous to the LL equation for heavy quark spin dynamics in the rotating medium. The spin-angular momentum coupling and random spin-spin interactions are incorporated, leading to a detailed balance of heavy quark spin distributions. This equation provides insight into the spin dynamics of heavy quarks and quarkonium in relativistic heavy-ion collisions.
