The Energy Loss of a Heavy Quark Moving Through a General Fluid Dynamical Flow

Abstract

We determine the most general form of the covariant drag force exerted on a quark moving through a fluid dynamical flow. Up to first order in derivative expansion, our general formula requires the specification of seven coefficient functions. We use the perturbative method introduced in arXiv:1202.2737 and find all these coefficients in the hydrodynamic regime of a $\mathcal{N}=4$ SYM plasma. Having this general formula, we can obtain the rate of the energy and momentum loss of a quark, namely the drag force, in a general flow. This result makes it possible to perturbatively study the motion of heavy quarks moving through the Bjorken flow up to first order in derivative expansion.