Relativistic diffusion of particles with a continuous mass spectrum

Abstract

We discuss general positivity conditions necessary for a definition of a relativistic diffusion on the phase space. We show that Lorentz covariant random vector fields on the forward cone $p^{2}\geq 0$ lead to a definition of a generator of Lorentz covariant diffusions. We discuss in more detail diffusions arising from particle dynamics in a random electromagnetic field approximating the quantum field at finite temperature. We develop statistical mechanics of a gas of diffusing particles. We discuss viscosity of such a gas in an expansion in gradients of the fluid velocity.