Minimal quantum viscosity from fundamental physical constants


Abstract in English

Viscosity of fluids is strongly system-dependent, varies across many orders of magnitude and depends on molecular interactions and structure in a complex way not amenable to first-principles theories. Despite the variations and theoretical difficulties, we find a new quantity setting the minimal kinematic viscosity of fluids: $ u_m=frac{1}{4pi}frac{hbar}{sqrt{m_em}}$, where $m_e$ and $m$ are electron and molecule masses. We subsequently introduce a new property, the elementary viscosity $iota$ with the lower bound set by fundamental physical constants and notably involving the proton-to-electron mass ratio: $iota_m=frac{hbar}{4pi}left({frac{m_p}{m_e}}right)^{frac{1}{2}}$, where $m_p$ is the proton mass. We discuss the connection of our result to the bound found by Kovtun, Son and Starinets in strongly-interacting field theories.

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