title: Diffusion in the special theory of relativity.
abstract: The Markovian diffusion theory is generalized within the framework of the special theory of relativity. Since the velocity space in relativity is a hyperboloid, the mathematical stochastic calculus on Riemanian manifolds can be applied but adopted here to the velocity space. A generalized Langevin equation in the fiber space of position, velocity, and orthonormal velocity frames is defined from which the generalized relativistic Kramers equation in the phase space in external force fields is derived. The obtained diffusion equation is invariant under Lorentz transformations and its stationary solution is given by the Jüttner distribution. Besides, a nonstationary analytical solution is derived for the example of force-free relativistic diffusion.
authors.affiliation: Max Born Institute, Max Born Strasse 2a, D12489 Berlin, Germany. jherrman@mbi-berlin.de
authors.forename: Joachim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Herrmann
mesh_terms: D003198:Computer Simulation; D004058:Diffusion; D005740:Gases / Q000737:chemistry*; D008956:Models, Chemical; D015233:Models, Statistical
chemical_list: D005740:Gases