Implicit schemes for real-time lattice gauge theory

Abstract

We develop new gauge-covariant implicit numerical schemes for classical real-time lattice gauge theory. A new semi-implicit scheme is used to cure a numerical instability encountered in three-dimensional classical Yang-Mills simulations of heavy-ion collisions by allowing for wave propagation along one lattice direction free of numerical dispersion. We show that the scheme is gauge covariant and that the Gauss constraint is conserved even for large time steps.