First-Order General-Relativistic Viscous Fluid Dynamics

Abstract: We present the first generalization of Navier-Stokes theory to relativity that satisfies all of the following properties: (a) the system coupled to Einstein's equations is causal and strongly hyperbolic; (b) equilibrium states are stable; (c) all leading dissipative contributions are present, i.e., shear viscosity, bulk viscosity, and thermal conductivity; (d) non-zero baryon number is included; (e) entropy production is non-negative in the regime of validity of the theory; (f) all of the above holds in the nonlinear regime without any simplifying symmetry assumptions. These properties are accomplished using a generalization of Eckart's theory containing only the hydrodynamic variables, so that no new extended degrees of freedom are needed as in M\"uller-Israel-Stewart theories. Property (b), in particular, follows from a more general result that we also establish, namely, sufficient conditions that when added to stability in the fluid's rest frame imply stability in any reference frame obtained via a Lorentz transformation. All our results are mathematically rigorously established. The framework presented here provides the starting point for systematic investigations of general-relativistic viscous phenomena in neutron star mergers.