Wigner function approach to polarization-vorticity coupling and hydrodynamics with spin

Abstract

Newly introduced equilibrium Wigner functions for particles with spin one-half are used in the semi-classical kinetic equations to study a possible relation between thermal vorticity and spin polarization. It is shown that in global equilibrium both the thermal-vorticity and spin polarization tensors are constant but not necessarily equal. In the case of local equilibrium, we define a procedure leading to hydrodynamic equations with spin. We introduce such equations for the de Groot, van Leeuwen, and van Weert (GLW) formalism as well as for the canonical scheme (these two frameworks differ by the definitions of the energy-momentum and spin tensors). It is found that the GLW and canonical versions are connected by a pseudo-gauge transformation.