Quantum Transport Theory

Abstract

The problem of thermalization of a quark -- gluon plasma is addressed in the framework of thermal field theory. Within a simple approximation, the full quantum relaxation problem is solved and compared to the Boltzmann solution. Memory effects and a slowdown of the relaxation process are the results, they can be partially described by using a generalized kinetic equation without quasi-particle approximation.

12 pages, latex, figures appended as uuencoded postscript, also available at ftp://tpri6c.gsi.de/pub/phenning/dalian95 or at http://www.gsi.de/~phenning/tft.html