LIE LIE21107 2008/6/13 10:06 page 253 #1

Lasers in Eng., Vol. 18, pp. 253262 2008 Old City Publishing, Inc.
Reprints available directly from the publisher Published by license under the OCP Science imprint,
Photocopying permitted by license only a member of the Old City Publishing Group
Universal Relaxation Times for Electron
and Nucleon Gases Excited by
Ultra-Short Laser Pulses
M. Pelc
1
, J. Marciak-Kozlowska
2
and M. Kozowski
3,
1
Institute of Physics, Maria Curie Sklodowska University, Lublin, Poland
2
Institute of Electron Technology, Warsaw, Poland
3
Institute of Experimental Physics, Warsaw University, Warsaw, Poland
In this paper we calculate the universal relaxation times for electron and
nucleon fermionic gases. We argue that the universal relaxation time (i) is
equal (i) = /mv(i)
2
where v(i) = a(i)c and a(1) = 0.15 for a nucleon
gas and a(2) = 1/137 for electron gas, c = light velocity. With the uni-
versal relaxation time we derive the thermal Proca equation for fermionic
gases.
Keywords: Universal relaxation time, thermal universal Proca equation.
INTRODUCTION
The differential equations of thermal energy transfer should be hyperbolic
so as to exclude action at a distance; yet the equations of irreversible
thermodynamics those of NavierStokes and Fourier are parabolic.
In our book [1] the new hyperbolic non the Fourier equation for heat
transport was derived and solved.
The excitation of matter on the quark nuclear and atomic level leads to
transfer of energy. The response of matter i.e. nucleus or an atom is governed
by the relaxation time.
In this paper, we develop the general universal denition of the relax-
ation time, which depends on coupling constants for electromagnetic or strong
interaction.

Corresponding author: E-mail: miroslawkozlowski@aster.pl

253
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254 M. Pelc et al.
It so happens that the general equation for the relaxation time can be
written as

i
=

m
i
(
i
c)
2
(1)
where m
i
is the heat carrier mass,
i
= (i = e, 1/137, i = N, m

/m
n
) is
coupling constant for electromagnetic and strong interaction, c is the speed of
light in vacuum. As the c is the maximum speed all relaxation times full the
inequality
>
i
(2)
Consequently
i
is the minimum universal relaxation time.
1 QUANTUM HEAT TRANSPORT EQUATION
Dynamical processes are commonly investigated using laser pump-probe
experiments with a pump pulse exciting the system of interest and a second
probe pulse tracking is temporal evolution. As the time resolution attainable in
such experiments depends on the temporal denition of the laser pulse, pulse
compression to the attosecond domain is a recent promising development.
After the standards of time and space were dened the laws of classical
physics relating such parameters as distance, time, velocity, temperature are
assumed to be independent of the accuracy with which these parameters can
be measured. It should be noted that this assumption does not enter explicitly
into the formulation of classical physics. It implies that together with the
assumption of the existence of an object and really independently of any
measurements (in classical physics) it was tacitly assumed that there was a
possibility of an unlimited increase in the measurement accuracy. Bearing
in mind the atomicity of time i.e. considering the smallest time period, the
Planck time, the above statement is obviously not true. Attosecond laser pulses
are at the limit of laser time resolution.
Attosecond laser pulses belong to a newNano World, where size becomes
comparable to atomic dimensions and transport phenomena follow differ-
ent laws from that in the macro world. This rst stage of miniaturization,
from 10
3
m to 10
6
m is over and the new one, from 10
6
m to 10
9
m just
beginning. The Nano World is a quantum world with all the predicable and
non-predicable (yet) features.
In this paragraph, we develop and solve the quantum relativistic heat
transport equation for nanoscale transport phenomena where external forces
exist [2]. In paragraph 2, we develop the new hyperbolic heat transport equa-
tion which generalizes the Fourier heat transport equation for rapid thermal
processes. The hyperbolic heat transport equation (HHT) for the fermionic
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Electron and Nucleon Gases by Ultra-Short Laser Pulses 255
system has been written in the form (3):
1
(
1
3

2
F
)

2
T
t
2
+
1
(
1
3

2
F
)
T
t
=
2
T, (3)
where T denotes the temperature, the relaxation time for the thermal
disturbance of the fermionic system, and
F
is the Fermi velocity.
In what follows we present the derivation of the HHT, considering the
details of the two fermionic systems: electron gas in metals and the nucleon
gas [1].
In the electron gas in metals, the Fermi energy has the form
E
e
F
= (3)
2
n
2/3

2
2m
e
, (4)
where n denotes the density and m
e
electron mass. Considering that
n
1/3
a
B


2
me
2
, (5)
and a
B
= Bohr radius, one obtains
E
e
F

n
2/3

2
2m
e

2
ma
2

2
m
e
c
2
, (6)
where c = the speed of light in a vacuum and = 1/137 is the ne-structure
constant for electromagnetic interaction. The Fermi momentum p
F
is
p
e
F


a
B
m
e
c, (7)
And the Fermi speed is
F
,

e
F

p
F
m
e
c. (8)
Equation (8) provides the theoretical background for the result presented in
paragraph 2.1. Considering Equation (8), the equation HHT can be written as
1
c
2

2
T
t
2
+
1
c
2

T
t
=

2
3

2
T. (9)
As is seen from (9), the HHT equation is a relativistic equation, since it
takes into account the nite speed of light.
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256 M. Pelc et al.
For a nucleon gas, the Fermi energy equals
E
N
F
=
(9)
2/3

2
8mr
2
0
, (10)
where mdenotes the nucleon mass and r
0
, which describes the range of strong
interaction, is given by
r
0
=

m

c
, (11)
where m

is the pion mass. Equation (11), enables one to obtain for the nucleon
Fermi energy
E
N
F

_
m

m
_
2
mc
2
. (12)
In analogy to Equation (6), Equation (12) can be written as
E
N
F

2
s
mc
2
, (13)
where
s
=
m

= 0.15 is the ne-structure constant for strong interactions.

Analogously, we obtain the nucleon Fermi momentum
p
e
F


r
0

s
mc (14)
and the nucleon Fermi velocity

N
F

p
F
m

s
c, (15)
and HHT for nucleon gas can be written as
1
c
2

2
T
t
2
+
1
c
2

T
t
=

2
s
3

2
T. (16)
In the following, the procedure for the discretiztion of temperature T ( r, t ) in
a hot fermion gas will be developed. First of all, we introduce the reduced
de Broglie wavelength

e
B
=

m
e

e
h
,
e
h
=
1

3
c,

N
B
=

m
N
h
,
N
h
=
1

s
c,
(17)
and the mean free paths
e
and
N

e
=
e
h

e
,
N
=
N
h

N
. (18)
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Electron and Nucleon Gases by Ultra-Short Laser Pulses 257
In viewof formulas (17) and (18), we obtain the HHCfor electron and nucleon
gases

e
B

e
h

2
T
t
2
+

e
B

e
T
t
=

m
e

2
T
e
, (19)

N
B

N
h

2
T
t
2
+

N
B

N
T
t
=

m

2
T
N
. (20)
Equations (19) and (20) are the hyperbolic partial differential equations, which
are the master equations for heat propagation in Fermi electron and nucleon
gases. In the following, we will study the quantum limit of heat transport in
fermionic systems. We dene the quantum heat transport limit as follows:

e
=

e
B
,
N
=

N
B
. (21)
In which case, Equations (19) and (20) have the form

2
T
e
t
2
+
T
e
t
=

m
e

2
T
e
, (22)

N

2
T
N
t
2
+
T
N
t
=

m

2
T
N
, (23)
where

e
=

m
e
(
e
h
)
2
,
N
=

m(
N
h
)
2
. (24)
Equations (22) and (23) dene the master equation for quantum heat trans-
port (QHT). Knowing the relaxation times
e
and
N
, one can dene the
pulsations
e
h
and
N
h

e
h
= (
e
)
1
,
N
h
= (
N
)
1
, (25)
or

e
h
=
m
e
(
e
h
)
2

,
N
h
=
m(
N
h
)
2

,
i.e.,

e
h
= m
e
(
e
h
)
2
=
m
e

2
3
c
2
,

N
h
= m(
N
h
)
2
=
m
2
s
3
c
2
.
(26)
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258 M. Pelc et al.
Structure
i

i
, i = N, e Numerical values
Atomic nucleus 0.15

m
N
(
2
c)
2
10
23
s
Atom 1/137

m
e
(
1
c)
2
10
17
s
TABLE 1
Hierarchical relaxation times
The Equations (26) dene the Planck-Einstein relation for heat quanta E
e
h
and E
N
h
E
e
h
=
e
h
= m
e
(
e
h
)
2
,
E
N
h
=
N
h
= m
N
(
N
h
)
2
.
(27)
In Table 1 the hierarchy of the relaxation times
i
is presented.
The heat quantum with an energy E
h
= can be named the heaton,
in complete analogy to the phonon, magnon, roton, etc. With
e
,
N
0,
Equations (22) and (26) are the Fourier equations with quantum diffusion
coefcients of D
e
and D
N
T
e
t
= D
e

2
T
e
, D
e
=

m
e
, (28)
T
N
t
= D
N

2
T
N
, D
N
=

m
. (29)
For nite
e
and
N
, for t <
e
, t <
N
, Equations (22) and (23) can be
written as
1
(
e
h
)
2

2
T
e
t
2
=
2
T
e
, (30)
1
(
N
h
)
2

2
T
N
t
2
=
2
T
N
. (31)
Equations (30) and (31) are the wave equations for quantum heat transport
(QHT). With t >, one obtains the Fourier equations (28) and (29).
2 PROCATHERMALEQUATION
It is quite interesting that the Proca type equation can be obtained for ther-
mal phenomena. In the following, starting with the hyperbolic heat diffusion
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Electron and Nucleon Gases by Ultra-Short Laser Pulses 259
equation the Proca equation for thermal processes will be developed and
solved [2].
In paper [2] the relativistic hyperbolic transport equation was developed:
1

2
T
t
2
+
m
0

T
t
=
2
T. (32)
In Equation (32) is the velocity of heat waves, m
0
is the mass of heat carrier
and is the Lorentz factor, = (1

2
c
2
)
1/2
. As was shown in paper [2] the
heat energy (heaton temperature) T
h
can be dened as follows:
T
h
= m
0

2
. (33)
Considering that , the thermal wave velocity equals [2]
= c, (34)
where is the coupling constant for the interactions, which generates the
thermal wave ( = 1/137 and = 0.15 for electromagnetic and strong
forces respectively), the heaton temperature is equal to
T
h
=
m
0

2
c
2

1
2
. (35)
Based on Equation (35) one concludes that the heaton temperature is
a linear function of the mass m
0
of the heat carrier. It is interesting to
observe that the proportionality of T
h
and the heat carrier mass m
0
was
observed for the rst time in ultra high energy heavy ion reactions measured
at CERN [3]. In paper [3] it was shown that the temperature of pions, kaons
and protons produced in Pb + Pb, S + S reactions are proportional to the
mass of particles. Recently, at Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL), the
VULCANLASERwas used to produce the elementary particles: electrons and
pions [4].
When an external force is present F(x, t ) the forced damped heat transport
is obtained [2] (in the one dimensional case):
1

2
T
t
2
+
m
0

T
t
+
2Vm
0

2
T

2
T
x
2
= F(x, t ). (36)
The hyperbolic relativistic quantum heat transport equation, (36), describes
the forced motion of heat carriers, which undergo scattering (
m
0

T
t
term)
and are inuenced by the potential term (
2Vm
o

2
T ).
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260 M. Pelc et al.
Equation (36) is the Proca thermal equation and can be written as [2]:
_

2
+
2Vm
0

2
_
T +
m
0

T
t
= F(x, t ),

2
=
1

2
t
2


2
x
2
.
(37)
We seek the solution of Equation (37) in the form
T (x, t ) = e
t /2
u(x, t ), (38)
where
i
=

m
2
is the relaxation time. After substituting Equation (38) in
Equation (37) we obtain a new equation
(

2
+q)u(x, t ) = e
t /2
F(x, t ) (39)
and
q =
2Vm

2

_
m
2
_
2
, (40)
m = m
0
. (41)
In free space i.e. when F(x, t ) 0 Equation (39) reduces to
(

2
+q)u(x, t ) = 0, (42)
which is essentially the free Proca type equation.
The Proca equation describes the interaction of laser pulses with the matter.
As was shown in book [1] the quantization of the temperature eld leads to
heatons quanta of thermal energy with a mass m
h
=

2
h
[1], where
is the relaxation time and
h
is the nite velocity for heat propagation. For

h
, i.e. for c , m
0
0, it can be concluded that in a non-
relativistic approximation (c = innite) the Proca equation is the diffusion
equation for mass less photons and heatons.
3 SOLUTION OF THE PROCATHERMALEQUATION
For the initial Cauchy condition:
u(x, 0) = f (x), u
t
(x, 0) = g(x) (43)
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Electron and Nucleon Gases by Ultra-Short Laser Pulses 261
the solution of the Proca equation has the form (for q >0) [2]
u(x, t ) =
f (x t ) +f (x +t )
2
+
1
2
_
x+t
xt
g()J
0
_
_
q(
2
t
2
(x )
2
)
_
d

qt
2
_
x+t
xt
f ()
J
1
_
_
q(
2
t
2
(x )
2
)
_
_

2
t
2
(x )
2
d
+
1
2
_
t
0
_
x +(t t

)
x (t t

)
G(, t

)J
0
_
_
q(
2
(t t

)
2
(x)
2
)
_
dt

d.
(44)
where G = e
t /2
F(x, t ).
When q <0 solution of Proca equation has the form:
u(x, t )
=
f (x t ) +f (x +t )
2
+
1
2
_
x+t
xt
g()I
0
_
_
q(
2
t
2
(x )
2
)
_
d

qt
2
_
x+t
xt
f ()
I
1
_
_
q(
2
t
2
(x )
2
)
_
_

2
t
2
(x )
2
d
+
1
2
_
t
0
_
x+(t t

)
x(t t

)
G(, t

)I
0
_
_
q(
2
(t t

)
2
(x )
2
)
_
dt

d.
(45)
When q = 0 Equation (39) is the forced thermal equation
1

2
u
t
2


2
u
x
2
= G(x, t ). (46)
In this paper we have developed the relativistic thermal transport equation
for an attosecond laser pulse interaction with matter. It was shown that the
equation obtained is the Proca equation, well known in relativistic electrody-
namics for massive photons. As the heatons are massive particles the analogy
is well founded.
CONCLUSIONS
In paper [5] S. Hod has derived the universal bound on the relaxation time
of a perturbated system, >

T
. Considering that T temperature for
LIE LIE21107 2008/6/13 10:06 page 262 #10
262 M. Pelc et al.
nonrelativistic particles is T m
2
, where is the average velocity, Hods
formula is >

m
2
, which is the same as our Equation (24). It seems that
in our case the equation for the minimal relaxation time is more specic and
better suited for comparison to experiment.
REFERENCES
[1] Kozlowski M. and Marciak-Kozlowska J. Thermal Processes UsingAttosecond Laser Pulses.
Springer, 2006.
[2] Pelc M., Marciak-Kozlowska J. and Kozlowski M. Proca thermal equation for attosecond
laser pulse interaction with matter. Lasers in Engineering 15 (2005), 347.
[3] Bearden I. G. et al. Collective expansion in high energy heavy ion collisions. Phys. Rev. Lett.
78 (1997), 2080.
[4] Ledingham K. W. D. and Norreys P. A. Nuclear physics merely using a light source.
Contemporary Physics 40 (1999), 367.
[5] Hod S. Universal bound on dynamical relaxation times and black hole quasinormal ringing.
Phys. Rev. D75 (2007), 064013.