For many decades, the often strange and counterintuitive effects of Einstein’s theory of special relativity, including length contraction and time dilation, have been known. However, a new theory is poised to reveal another of its unusual aspects: its long-hidden influence on fluids.
The effect, dubbed “fluid thickening,” is detailed in a new paper by physicist Alessio Zaccone, which outlines a unique microscopic theory involving fluid viscosity and its influence under relativistic conditions. By employing a framework that combines elements from relativistic equations with current theory underlying the displacement of particles, Zaccone’s theory shows how fluid viscosity might behave under conditions nearing the speed of light.
The groundbreaking research may help to bridge the gap between existing concepts involving relativistic hydrodynamics and classical fluid behavior and could even point to the requirement for a new fundamental law of physics.
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