Relativistic theory of the viscosity of fluids across the entire energy spectrum

The shear viscosity is a fundamental transport property of matter. Surprisingly, there is no simple analytical theory for the viscosity of relativistic fluids that is able to recover the viscosity of non-relativistic gases as one of its analytical limits. Here we derive a general theory of the viscosity of gases based on the relativistic Langevin equation (deduced from a relativistic Lagrangian) and nonaffine linear response theory. The proposed relativistic theory is able to recover the viscosity of non-relativistic classical gases, with all its key dependencies on mass, temperature, particle diameter and Boltzmann constant, in the limit of Lorentz factor γ=1. It also unveils the relativistic enhancement of viscosity, which is a fundamental relativistic effect that has been overlooked so far. In the limit of ultrarelativistic fluids, the theory reproduces the cubic increase of viscosity with temperature in agreement with previous estimates for the QGP-type fluid.