Alladi Ramakrishnan Hall

A topological gauge theory for the entropy current

R Loganayagam

IAS, Princeton

We focus on the question of how relativistic fluid
dynamics should be thought of as a Wilsonian effective field theory
emerging from Schwinger-Keldysh path integrals. Taking the basic
principles of Schwinger-Keldysh formalism seriously, we are led to a
series of remarkable statements and a broad programme relating
relativistic fluid dynamics and topological sigma models. Apart from
the intrinsic interest for this programme from the non-equilibrium
field theory viewpoint, we also emphasise
its relevance to various fundamental questions in black hole physics.