Nonequilibrium quasi-classical effective meson gas: Thermalization

Abstract.

We consider a gas of interacting relativistic effective mesons (qualitatively, like those produced in a heavy-ion collision), regarded as an out-of-equilibrium statistical system. We suppose large occupation numbers, temperature somewhat below typical critical temperatures and the quasi-classical regime. At some initial time t₀, let the gas be in a nonequilibrium state, with spatial inhomogeneities. The time evolution of the gas for t > t ₀ is studied by a moment method, and appropriate long-time approximations, which could yield the approach to global thermal equilibrium, are discussed.