Relativistic second-order spin hydrodynamics: an entropy-current analysis

Abstract: We present a new derivation of Israel-Stewart-like relativistic second-order dissipative spin hydrodynamic equations using the entropy current approach. In our analysis, we consider a general energy-momentum tensor with symmetric and anti-symmetric parts. Moreover, the spin tensor, which is not separately conserved, has a simple phenomenological form that is antisymmetric only in the last two indices. Apart from the evolution equations for energy density, fluid flow, and spin density, we also find relaxation-type dynamical equations for various dissipative currents. The latter are consistently derived within the second-order theory as gradient corrections to the energy-momentum and spin tensors. We argue that this approach correctly reproduces the corresponding Navier-Stokes limit of spin hydrodynamic equations. Throughout our analysis, the spin chemical potential is considered a $\mathcal{O}(\partial)$ quantity in the hydrodynamic gradient expansion and reduces to thermal vorticity in the global equilibrium. New coefficients appearing in the generalized spin hydrodynamic equations are undetermined and can only be evaluated within a proper underlying microscopic theory of a given system.