title: Thermal equilibrium and statistical thermometers in special relativity.
abstract: There is an intense debate in the recent literature about the correct generalization of Maxwell's velocity distribution in special relativity. The most frequently discussed candidate distributions include the Jüttner function as well as modifications thereof. Here we report results from fully relativistic one-dimensional molecular dynamics simulations that resolve the ambiguity. The numerical evidence unequivocally favors the Jüttner distribution. Moreover, our simulations illustrate that the concept of "thermal equilibrium" extends naturally to special relativity only if a many-particle system is spatially confined. They make evident that "temperature" can be statistically defined and measured in an observer frame independent way.
authors.affiliation: Física Teórica, Universidad de Sevilla, Apartado de Correos 1065, Sevilla 41080, Spain.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cubero
authors.forename: Jesús
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Casado-Pascual
authors.forename: Jörn
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dunkel
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Talkner
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hänggi