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Solutions of the equations of motion in classical and

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Article  in  Annals of Physics · September 1971

DOI: 10.1016/0003-4916(71)90012-1

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Vol. 4 (1973) REPORTS ON MATHEMATICAL PHYSICS No. 2

CANONICAL FORMULATION OF RELATIVISTIC HYDRODYNAMICS

I. BIALYNICKI-BIRULA

Institute of Theoretical Physics, Warsaw University, Warsaw, Poland, and Department of Physics,
University of Pittsburgh, USA

Department of Physics, Warsaw University, Warsaw, Poland

(Receioed February 14, 1972)

Canonical formulation of the relativistic theory of perfect fluids is given. As an intro-

duction to this subject the canonical formalism for charged particles interacting with
electromagnetic field is briefly discussed. Relativistic hydrodynamics is studied in several
versions including hydrodynamics of charged fluids coupled to the electromagnetic field
and ultrarelativistic hydrodynamics. Ultrarelativistic hydrodynamics is shown to be
conformally invariant and several implications of conformal symmetry are discussed.

1. Introduction

Various simplified models have played a significant role in our reaching the present
understanding of relativistic quantum theories. Complete relativistic quantum theories
are almost exclusively particle theories, in which particles are described in terms of quan-
tized fields. It may be of some interest to study relativistic field theories which may possess
no particle interpretation, at least not in the usual sense. We expect this to be the case in the
relativistic hydrodynamics. In this paper we shall study the canonical formulation of this
theory. As an introduction to the main topic we consider in Section 2 the canonical formu-
lation of the system of N charged point-like particles coupled to the most general nonlinear
electromagnetic field. We check the Dirac-Schwinger relations in order to prove the local
invariance of the theory under the Poincare group. In Section 3 the canonical formulation
of the theory of an ideal compressible fluid, moving freely, is given and Section 4 contains
a formulation of the theory of charged fluid coupled to the electromagnetic field. In Section
5 we consider a special version of the relativistic hydrodynamics, which is invariant under
the conformal transformations-the ultrarelativistic hydrodynamics of the fluid moving
freely with the velocity of light. In Section 6 we prove the invariance of this theory under
the conformal group. The Appendix contains a summary of relevant properties of the
conformal group and canonical transformations.

11391
140 I. BIALYNICKI-BIRULA and Z. IWIfiSKI

2. Canonical formalism of classical electrodynamics of N charged point-like particles

We shall study a general theory of electromagnetic field interacting with point-like
charges. The Lagrangian density of the electromagnetic field fPy = 8,A, - &A, will be taken
as an arbitrary function Y(S, P) of the two field inyariants:
S= -af~V(x)f~v(~)=~(~z-B2). (2.la)
and
P= -~jJX)yX)j=E.B, (2.lb)
where
E=(f,, ,_fo2 ,“fd, (2.2a)
B= -(f23 9f31 ,_fiZ), (2.2b)
fVP+Pv~PfAp. (2.3)
a8
One can define also another tensor h’“= -~ the components of which are vector
fields D and H, 8-b '

(2.4a)

(2.4b)

We choose D(x) and B(x) as canonical variables of the fields and CA,A = 1, . . . , N, and zA
=m,vJJl - ui as canonical variables of the particles. Field and particle equations of mo- ’
tion can be derived from the variational principle with the action integral W having the
form:
w= J d4X9(s, Pj- f mA 5 dz, - J d4xj, (x) A”(x), (2.5)
A=1
where
Y(x) = C j d5Z e, a4 (x -CA), (2.6)
A

and z,, is the proper time parameter of the Ath particle. Equations of motion expressed in
terms of the canonical variables are:

-~+VxH(D,B)=~eA lcA b(r - L) 9

A J”rn,+zj

VD=CeAb(x-L),
A
(2.7)
aB
%+VxE(D, B)=O,

VB=O,
d’bi (2.8)
-=eA EGA, t)+ n_4 xB(L, t) -
dt J z: >
 CANONICAL FORMULATION OF RELATIVISTIC HYDRODYNAMICS 141

The symmetric energy-momentum tensor is

Thy(x)=CmA f d~:~6,(~-~~)+f~~(x)hl*(x)-g~‘P(x). (2.9)

A A

It satisfies the continuity equation:

a YT’“=O . (2.10)

In terms of the canonical variables, the components of this tensor read:

X(x, t)=Too(x, t)=CJm:+7C:83(X-CA)+E(X, t)*D(x, t)-P(E(D, B), B),

A

Tok(r,t)=~~~S,(x--rA)+(D(x, OxB(x, O)",

(2.11)
Tk’(x, t) =c ‘& ” 6,(x-<,)-@& t)D’(x, t)-
4 m-i
-IP(X, t)B’(x, t)+sk’(-H(x, t)B(x, t)+_F(x, t)).

We define the Poisson brackets (P.B.) between the canonical variables in such a way that
the time derivative of any variable is equal to the P.B. of this variable and the Hamiltonian
of the system. In order to achieve that we assume the following form of basic P.B.‘s:

H49 ni}=aAB eA @kBk({A),

{&, Bk}=O={~~,Dk}=O={~~, Bk},
(2.12)
(7&, Dj(x)}= e, 6”6,(r - CA),

{B’(X),Do> = ijkak
6,(x - y),

{B’(x),Bk(y))=o = {D’(x), Dk(y)} .

The P.B. for any two functionals of field variables and functions of particle variables
F[D, B 1 <A, ZA] and G[D, B [ <A, aA] has the form:

{P,G)=;Jd3xd3y -$dC-~G)oi(x),B~(y)}+
6D (x) 6B’(y) GB’(y) i@(x)

aF ac aF aG

(2.13)
142 I. BIALYNICKI-BIRULA and Z. IWI&3KI

The P.B.‘s between the components of the energy-momentum tensor, expressing the local
relativistic covariance of the theory, are:

{Too@ 9 0, T OO(Y3 t)} = - [TO%, t) + TOk(y, t)] ak 6,(x-y) ,

{TOO(x, t), TOk(y, t)}= -[Tk’(x, t)+PO(y, t)dk]S&-y), (2.14)

{TOk(X, t), TO’(y, t)}=[TO’(x, t)ak+Pk(y, t)a’]d,(x-y).

We can derive them by a direct computation, using the equations of motion and the follow-
ing identities:
aE’ aE’ dHk aH”
> DxB=ExH, (2.15)
aD’ aDc aB” aBk’

F(x)ak6~(x-~)=F(~)~k6~(~-~)-~akF(x))6~(~-~). (2.16)

3. Relativistic hydrodynamics of the free fluid

Now we shall consider an ideal compressible fluid without pressures moving freely in
infinite space in accordance with special relativity.
The states of the fluid will be described by the four velocity field U”(X) and the scalar
rest-mass density p(x) .
The equations of motion consist of the continuity equation

a,(pu*) = 0 (3.1)

and a relativistic analogue of the Navier-Stokes equation

upa, d = 0. (3.2)

We shall assume the usual normalization condition for the four-velocity

u”(x) U,(X) = 1, (3.3)

which is, of course, consistent with equation (3.2).

The energy-momentum tensor of the fluid has the form

T”‘(x) = p (x) U”(X) u’(x). (3.4)

As a result of the equations of motion, this tensor satisfies the continuity equation (2.10).
In order to introduce the canonical formalism we start from the Lagrangian density for
the fluid:
9((x)= -p(x). (3.5)

We choose the density of the current (~=puO and the velocity v as Lagrangian variables,
rewriting the Lagrangian density in the form

Z(rj?, v)= -q&v? (3.6)

 CANONZCAL FORMULATION OF RELATIVISTIC HYDRODYNAMICS 143

The Legendre transformation and its inverse are:

as 9,~
x=-_= ~) (3.7a)
av ~14
and
IT
U= (3.7b)
\I= .

The Hamiltonian density constructed according to the usual procedure and expressed
in the terms of the canonical variables o, and IZ,
_-
.z?(x)=~(a,, a)=no(p, x)-Lqp, u(q, n))=jfp2+a2=p14,2, (3.8a)

coincides with the time-time component of the energy momentum tensor Ton(x). Other
components of this tensor in terms of canonical variables are:
TOk(X) =7?(X), (3.8b)

n”(x) T?(X)
Tk’(X) = ---_ . (3.8~)
/z
\ v, +?1:
Equations of motion for the canonical variables may be written in the form:

a,p=-a, nL01,
J p2+¶C2
(3.9)
a,n'=-a,_~?rXI.
J &2
We shall postulate the following P.B. relations between the canonical variables:

{ p(n) 7 nk(y)3 = P(Y) a%+ - y),

{~kb9,74~)) = (44 ak f nk(y) al) ~x-Y) , (3.10)

{V(X), p((Y))=O.

This will guarantee not only the correct value of the time derivative for any functional
F[q, n] of canonical variables,

a,~[~,~i=~FC~,ni,H~, (3.11)

but also the correct P.B. relations (2.14) between the components of the energy-momentum
tensor. As in the case of the free scalar field, the free vector field, and Maxwell electrodynam-
ics, one can obtain here an additional relation

(TOO(X), P(y)) =[Pyy)al+P(y)ak-P$tq d,(~-~), (3.12)

where the dot denotes the time derivative. One must make use here also of the field equa-
tions.
144 I. BIALYNICKI-BIRULA and Z. IWIfiSKI

4. Relativistic fluid coupled to the electromagnetic field

In this section we shall consider the system composed of the charged fluid and an arbi-
trary, in general nonlinear, electromagnetic field. We assume that the charge distribution
of the fluid is proportional to its mass distribution p. The current density is:

jP(x) =$ (x) u”(x). (4.1)

The full set of equations of motion for the field and the fluid in relativistic notation is:

f& y+fpy,LI
+f7a,p= 0 7
h aS,e=J 4 9 (4.2)
(pu”u@),B=f"@& .
The continuity equation for the current density

@u?,.=O (4.3)
follows from Maxwell’s equations. The symmetric energy-momentum tensor is:

T”‘(x) = p (x) u”(x) u”(x) +f “‘(x) h,‘(x) - g”“2’ (x) . (4.4)

It satisfies the continuity equation.
Following the same procedure as that of Sections 2 and 3 we express all quantities in
terms of canonical variables

and B(x), D(X).

The contkuity equation and equations of motion can be now written in the form

nkY, =o,
aO q+ak
J
i?,n+a, nkX=eP,E(B, D)+--
J &2m J

V.B=O,

-;+vxH(D,B)=I qn , (4.6)
mJq2+x2
 CANONICAL FORMULATION OF RELATIVISTIC HYDRODYNAMICS 145

Again, we postulate the P.B’s between the canonical variables:

{9(-+ &Y))=O,
{VW nk(Y)I=g,WkMX-Y),

(+) , n’(Y)} =(n’(x) a’+n’(Y) 8’) 63 (x-i) +;&x) 83 (X-Y)&i’k&(X)

b(4, Bkdy))=O={m, ~kQ)=O={nk(x), B’(y)>, (4.7)

Pk(4 9 NY)} = 0 = (ok(X) , NY)} ,

{B’(x), Di(y)}=&‘jka,6,(x--y).
By a direct computation using equations (2.4), (2.15), (2.16) and the last equation of (4.6)
we obtain the correct P.B. relations for the energy-momentum tensor.

5. Special case of relativistic hydrodynamics: ultrarelativistic hydrodynamics

The conformally invariant hydrodynamics (a proof will be given in Sec. 6) is obtained
when the fluid moves freely with the light velocity, i.e. when the four-velocity vector field
is a null vector:
u”u,=O. (5.1)
The equations of motion are still the same as (3.1) and (3.2). The canonical variables are:
fjJ=pllO (5Ja)
and
(5.2b)
The fields p(x), u”(x) and the traceless energy-momentum tensor TpY=puV can be
expressed in terms of the canonical variables as follows:

,_J? f2’ J”:

Uk=-_ p=-T’ (5.3)
9 ’
Tooh0=3(x, t)= J,+, t),

Tok(x
, t) = nk(x, t) , (5.4)
n’(x) t) 72(x t)
)

Tkz(x
,t) =
JxZ(x, ’
Equations of motion in terms of the canonical variables are:

(5.5)
146 I. BIALYNICKI-BIRULA and Z. IWIfiSKI

The definitions of the P.B.‘s between the canonical variables, giving the correct equations
of motion, are the same as in the previous case (Sec. 3)

{n”@), r+(Y)) = (r&x) ak + Xk(Y)a’>63 (X-Y) ,

{U,(&nk(Y)l=V(Y)ak&(X-Y), (5.6)
W), p(y)Y))=O.
The relations (2.14) between the components of the energy-momentum tensor hold also
in this case.
In all theories mentioned in this paper ten conserved quantities P” and WV

P” = j da, T’“(x),
(r
(5.7)
M”” = 1 do, xCpTv’“(x)
d
are independent of the surface o and they represent the energy, the momentum, the angular
momentum and the moment of energy of the system.
As it follows from the equations (2.14) by a direct integration, the P.B. relations for
these quantities are the same as comutation relations for generators of the PoincarC
group. These quantities generate the Poincare transformations of the fields.

6. Conformal invariance of the ultrarelativistic hydrodynamics

Among theories mentioned in this paper, only free Maxwell electrodynamics and free
ultrarelativistic hydrodynamics are conformally invariant. In both cases (for Maxwell
electrodynamics this is well known) generators of the conformal transformations are of the
form:
translation P,= j TgOd3x,
homogeneous Lorentz
transformation M,w = j (xp Tv, - xv Tp,) d 3x , (6.1)
dilatation D = j x’TpO d3x,
acceleration Kp = 1(2x, x2 - x’g,,) T; d3x
(all relevant properties of conformal group and canonical transformations are given in the
Appendix).
The form of the generators of the Poincare group is known. We must only show that
the generators of conformal transformations D and Kp generate the appropriate transfor-
mations of the field, i.e. the transformations induced by a dilatation and a special conformal
transformation. The transformation laws of canonical variables can be obtained from the
fact that the energy-momentum tensor and the current vector transform as a tensor density
1 3
and a vector density of weights z and 2, respectively.
 CANONICAL FORMULATION OF RELATIVISTIC HYDRODYNAMICS 147

The transformation laws for canonical variables are:

(6.2)

‘nk(x)= ‘p (x)‘u~(x)‘u~(x)=

where P=f”(i, y) is the most general transformation of the conformal group.

The transformations of the vector j”(x) and the tensor P’(X) are of the form

(6.3a)

p(2)
22
(i)up
(2)
. (6.3b)

From the equation

we obtain that

In the case of a dilatation we have

xc= eafp, A(x)=ew2'

whereas in the case of a special conformal transformation we have

,
X” -p-y 1
XP,
1-2cR+~2c2 ’
A(x)= l
1+2cx+c~x~=75 *

We shall show now that the fields transformed by one parameter subgroups generated by D
and K= c'K, , respectively, satisfy the same differential equations as fields obtained from
transformations (6.2) in the special case of a dilatation with parameter A and a special
conformal transformation with parameters AC,,. Since for A= 0 these fields satisfy the same
initial conditions, D and K generate appropriate transformations. The differential equations
for ‘v, and ‘ak in the case of a dilatation are:

d ‘P(4 d’Ak
___
dA
= - xfla, ’ P (x) - 3 ‘u,(x), dL = - xpa,
'dyX)
- 4 auk . (6.4)
148 I. BIALYNICKI-BIRULA and Z. IWIfiSKl

On the other hand, fields (n)p,and (‘%? obtained from transformations (A.8) with the gener-
tor D satisfy the same differential equations

(6.5)

We used here the properties of the canonical transformations (A.8). From these equations
it follows that “‘~=‘~, (‘)zk= ‘zk and for I=a these are the fields transformed by the
dilatation.
The canonical variables transformed by the transformation (6.2) in the case of a special
conformal transformation with parameters ,k, satisfy the differential equations
irk
d’v
-= - cP(2xPx, - gPVx2) d’ ‘Q,- 6/x, ‘9 - (2x”ck - 2xkc0) G ,
dA Jn

d ‘nk
- = -c~(2XpXY-gpYXZ)aY’~k-8CP~p ‘irk-
d/l

- (2c’xk - 2ckx9 ‘,rl- (2c’x, - 2c, x*) r2 + (2c, xk - 2ckx,) JQ . (6.6b)

JZ
Canonical variables transformed by a one parameter group of the canonical transformations
.generated by the c“K,, satisfy the same equations:
d (‘)y,
-=R.H.S. of (6.6a) with (‘)g, and %rk instead of ‘9 and ‘2,
dl
(6.7)
. .
d V),k
-=R.H.S. of (6.6b) with (‘)~JIand %ck instead of ‘p and ‘rck
dl

and the same initial conditions. This ends the proof that PK, are indeed the generators of
special conformal transformations. Any transformation of the conformal group can be
.obtained as a canonical transformation generated by
G=aD+c’K P+d’M w +dP P’
All the generators of the conformal group are constants of motion. For D and K,, this
follows from the vanishing of the trace of the energy-momentum tensor

$= j T”,,d3x=0,
(6.8)
52J. xCTYVd3x=0.
 CANONICAL FORMULATION OF RELATIVISTIC HYDRODYNAMICS 149

This guarantees that the transformations generated by these generators are symmetry
transformations, so this theory, as well as Maxwell electrodynamics, is conformally invariant.
It is easy to calculate the P.B. relations between the hfteen generators from the most gener-
al P.B. relations of the components of the energy-momentum tensor (2.14), using only the
fact that this tensor is traceless. These P.B. relations are the same as commutation rela-
tions for generators of the conformal group (A.7).

Appendix. The conformal group

The conformal group is a subgroup of general space-time coordinate transformations
x”+‘x”(x) which leave the Minkowsky metric invariant up to a scale factor depending on x:

axA a9
--
a‘9 a‘XV
gAp=;l(‘x)glrv where
1

grip= i 8 -i

0
0

0
-1
0

o-1
0

8 . (A.1).

Fifteen basic transformations of this group are translations, homogeneous Lorentz trans-
formations, scale transformations (dilatations) and special conformal transformations (ac-
celerations)
translation ‘xp=tP(x, a)=xp+ap, 6x’=6a”,
homogeneous Lorentz
transformation ‘xl’ = l”(X) W) = nq xv, 6x” = h’, xv,
dilatation ‘xc = d”(x , ol)= e”x” , 6xp = 6ax”, (A.21
xp-Px2
acceleration ‘xl’= syx ) c) = 6x” =(2xPx” - QW) 6c,.
l-2cx+x2c2’
The most general transformation of this group will be denoted by

‘xl’=f”(x , Y) , (A.3p

where y’, . . . . y15 denote 15 parameters of this group. Realization of this group in the space
of fields #(x) (of some tensorial character) is defined in the usual manner:

V(x) =A (x 3YYB P,“(f_ ‘(x , Y)), (A-4)

where A(x, r)“B is some finite dimensional matrix depending on the tensorial character
of the field. For example, the transformation laws for the electromagnetic field are:

)f&)= gg f,r(.p(X, y)), 64.5%

where
n=f-‘(X, y).
150 I. BIALYNICKI-BIRULA and Z. IWIfiSKI

The operators F(x, 7) which induce the change of the argument of the field, F(x, Y)#(x)
= q2A(f-1(x, r)) are given as follows:
translation T(x, a)=exp[-a,?],
homogeneous Lorentz
transformation L(x, W)=exp[-+o,,z”“], 64.6)
dilatation D(x, cl)=exp[-c&J,
acceleration S(x, c)=exp[-c,rP],

These differential operators satisfy the algebra of the generators of the conformal group

CT,, %I=o 3

(A-7)

94 = -%7,,~+~,J.
cJ$I
For the canonical formulation of the theory it is necessary to find the canonical trans-
formations (and their generators) of the canonical variables corresponding to the con-
formal transformations of the fields. Elements of one parameter subgroup of canonical
transformations generated by the generator G(t) transform the canonical variables in
the following way

‘“‘$<x, f)=p% t>+~(G(t), v%, O}+&)r{G(t), P”(x,t>}}+...,

64.8)

%&, f)=nng(x, t>+A{G(t), nng(x, f))+;(W),

{G(t), n&, t>>>+...
 CANONICAL FORMULATlON OF RELATIVISTIC HYDRODYNAMICS 151

These transformations are canonical because of the fact that

{‘Qv,, %},, x = { a,34~)lc = {(I) P , (Aw,,, wlr * (A-9)
New variables (‘)#(x, t) and @)rcs(x, t) satisfy in general (when G(t) depends on time)
canonical equations of motion with a new Hamiltonian gA((t), which is a solution of
differential equation

dqp+dT-(G(t),
i&(t)}=0 (A.10)

with the initial condition tillrlzO= H. These transformations are symmetry transforma-
tions if the generators are constants of motion. In a conformally invariant theory, gener-
ators of conformal transformations of the fields satisfy the algebra of conformal gen-
erators (A.7).

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