Spontaneous charge separation in accelerating relativistic plasmas

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Author: Gavassino, Lorenzo
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Gavassino, Lorenzo
author_facet Gavassino, Lorenzo
contents The Stewart-Tolman effect posits that accelerating conductors exhibit both charge separation and rest-frame electric fields (``inertia of charge''), while the Ehrenfest-Tolman effect states that acceleration induces temperature gradients (``inertia of heat''). We study the interplay of these effects in thermodynamic equilibrium. Specifically, we derive from first principles a partial differential equation governing the electrothermal stratification of a fully ionized plasma in equilibrium under irrotational relativistic accelerations in curved spacetime. We then solve it in two settings: a plasma enclosed in a uniformly accelerated box, and a plasma shell suspended above a black hole horizon. The resulting electric fields are found not to depend on the electric conductivity of the medium.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2508_08936
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Spontaneous charge separation in accelerating relativistic plasmas
Gavassino, Lorenzo
General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
High Energy Physics - Theory
The Stewart-Tolman effect posits that accelerating conductors exhibit both charge separation and rest-frame electric fields (``inertia of charge''), while the Ehrenfest-Tolman effect states that acceleration induces temperature gradients (``inertia of heat''). We study the interplay of these effects in thermodynamic equilibrium. Specifically, we derive from first principles a partial differential equation governing the electrothermal stratification of a fully ionized plasma in equilibrium under irrotational relativistic accelerations in curved spacetime. We then solve it in two settings: a plasma enclosed in a uniformly accelerated box, and a plasma shell suspended above a black hole horizon. The resulting electric fields are found not to depend on the electric conductivity of the medium.
title Spontaneous charge separation in accelerating relativistic plasmas
topic General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
High Energy Physics - Theory
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.08936