Polarization in relativistic fluids: a quantum field theoretical derivation

Abstract: We review the calculation of polarization in a relativistic fluid within the framework of statistical quantum field theory. We derive the expressions of the spin density matrix and the mean spin vector both for a single quantum relativistic particle and for a quantum free field. After introducing the formalism of the covariant Wigner function for the scalar and the Dirac field, the relation between spin density matrix and the covariant Wigner function is obtained. The formula is applied to the fluid produced in relativistic nuclear collisions by using the local thermodynamic equilibrium density operator and recovering previously known formulae. The dependence of these results on the spin tensor and pseudo-gauge transformations of the stress-energy tensor is addressed.