Viscosity in Strongly Interacting Quantum Field Theories from Black Hole Physics

Kovtun, P.; Son, D. T.; Starinets, A. O.

Viscosity in Strongly Interacting Quantum Field Theories from Black Hole Physics

Authors

Kovtun, P.

Son, D. T.

Starinets, A. O.

Description

The ratio of shear viscosity to volume density of entropy can be used to characterize how close a given fluid is to being perfect. Using string theory methods, we show that this ratio is equal to a universal value of $\hbar/4πk_B$ for a large class of strongly interacting quantum field theories whose dual description involves black holes in anti--de Sitter space. We provide evidence that this value may serve as a lower bound for a wide class of systems, thus suggesting that black hole horizons are dual to the most ideal fluids.
9 pages, title changed, appendix moved into the main text