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    Approach towards equilibrium through momentum-dependent relaxation: Insights from evolution of the moments in kinetic theory

    Reghukrishnan Gangadharan*, Sukanya Mitra†, and Victor Roy‡

    • *Contact author: reghukrishnang@niser.ac.in
    • †Contact author: sukanya.mitra@niser.ac.in
    • ‡Contact author: victor@niser.ac.in

    Phys. Rev. D 112, 096019 – Published 17 November, 2025

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/qgy4-bhnq

    Abstract

    We investigate the impact of momentum-dependent relaxation time approximation in the Boltzmann equation within the Bjorken flow framework by analyzing the moments of the single-particle distribution function. The moment equations, which form an infinite hierarchy, provide important insights about the system dynamics and the approach towards equilibrium for systems far from equilibrium. The momentum-dependent collision kernel couples moments through both the energy exponents and the angular dependence via various-order Legendre polynomials, resulting in an intricate system of infinitely coupled equations. A naive truncation of the coupled equations results in diverging moments at late times. We outline strategies for solving the coupled system, including a novel approach for managing the divergences and noninteger moments. We show a significant influence of momentum-dependent relaxation time on the time evolution of the moments, particularly for higher-order moments and systems with smaller shear viscosity over entropy density, emphasizing the importance of incorporating such dependence for a more accurate description of the system dynamics with low shear viscosity such as the quark-gluon-plasma produced in high-energy heavy-ion collisions.

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