Quantum spin Hall insulators are characterized by topologically protected counterpropagating edge states. Here we study the dynamical response of these helical edge states under a time-dependent flux biasing, in the presence of a heat bath. It is shown that the relaxation time of the edge carriers can be determined from a measurement of the dissipative response of topological insulator disks. The effects of various perturbations, including Zeeman coupling and disorder, are also discussed.
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