Radiation is a universal friction increasing agent. When two fluid layers are in relative motion, the inevitable exchange of radiation between such layers gives rise to an effective force, which tries to prevent the layers from sliding. This friction is often modeled as a Navier-Stokes shear viscosity. However, non-Newtonian corrections are expected to appear at distances of about one optical depth from the layers’ interface. Such corrections prevent the viscous stress from becoming too large. Here, we set the foundations of a rigorous theory for these corrections, valid along incompressible flows. We show that, in the linear regime, the infinite Chapman-Enskog series can be computed analytically, leading to universal formulas for all transport coefficients, which apply to any fluid, with any composition, with radiation of any type (also neutrinos), and with nearly any type of radiative process. We then show that, with an appropriate shear-heat coupling coefficient, Israel-Stewart theory can correctly describe most non-Newtonian features of radiative shear stresses.

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• Astrophysical fluid dynamics
• Fluid-particle interactions
• Hydrodynamic models
• Non-Newtonian fluids
• Nuclear astrophysics
• Particle mixing & oscillations
• Radiation pressure acceleration
• Relativistic kinetic theory
• Rheological properties
• Spontaneous emission
• Neutrinos
• Neutron stars & pulsars
• Stars
• Viscosity
• Relativistic hydrodynamics