Transport Coefficients in Gluodynamics: From Weak Coupling towards the Deconfinement Transition

Abstract

We study the ratio of bulk to shear viscosity in gluodynamics within a phenomenological quasiparticle model. We show that at large temperatures this ratio exhibits a quadratic dependence on the conformality measure as known from weak coupling perturbative QCD. In the region of the deconfinement transition, however, this dependence becomes linear as known from specific strongly coupled theories. The onset of the strong coupling behavior is located near the maximum of the scaled interaction measure. This qualitative behavior of the viscosity ratio is rather insensitive to details of the equation of state.