Plasmons in Anisotropic Quark-Gluon Plasma

Abstract

Plasmons of quark-gluon plasma - gluon collective modes - are systematically studied. The plasma is, in general, non-equilibrium but homogeneous. We consider anisotropic momentum distributions of plasma constituents which are obtained from the isotropic one by stretching or squeezing in one direction. This leads to prolate or oblate distributions, respectively. We study all possible degrees of one dimensional deformation from the extremely prolate case, when the momentum distribution is infinitely elongated in one direction, to the extremely oblate distribution, which is infinitely squeezed in the same direction. In between these extremes we discuss arbitrarily prolate, weakly prolate, isotropic, weakly oblate and arbitrarily oblate distributions. For each case, the number of modes is determined using a Nyquist analysis and the complete spectrum of plasmons is found analytically if possible, and numerically when not. Unstable modes are shown to exist in all cases except that of isotropic plasma. We derive conditions on the wave vectors for the existence of these instabilities. We also discuss stable modes which are not limited to small domains of wave vectors and therefore have an important influence on the system's dynamics.