Relativistic L\'evy processes

Abstract

We study sums of independent and identically distributed random velocities in special relativity. We show that the resulting one-dimensional velocity distributions are not only stable under relativistic velocity addition but define a genuinely new class of stochastic processes--relativistic L\'evy processes. Given a system, this allows identifying distinct relativistic regimes in terms of the distribution's concavity at the origin and the probability of measuring relativistic velocities. These features provide a protocol to assess the relevance of stochastic relativistic effects in actual experiments. As supporting evidence, we find agreement with previous results about heavy-ion diffusion and show that our findings are consistent with the distribution of momentum deviations observed in measurements of antiproton cooling.