Relaxed hydrodynamic theory of electrically driven non-equilibrium steady states

Abstract

The capability of hydrodynamics to accurately describe slow and long-wavelength fluctuations around non-equilibrium steady states (NESS), characterized by a stationary flow of energy or matter in the presence of a driving force, remains an open question. In this study, we explicitly construct a hydrodynamic description of electrically driven non-equilibrium charged steady states \new{in the limit in which the relaxation of the first non-hydrodynamic excitation is parametrically slow}. Our approach involves introducing gapped modes and extending the effective description into a relaxed hydrodynamic theory (RHT). Leveraging the gauge-gravity duality as a tool for controlled computations within non-equilibrium systems, we establish an ultraviolet complete model for these NESS that confirms the validity of our RHT. In summary, our findings provide a concrete realization of the validity of hydrodynamics beyond thermal equilibrium, offering valuable insights into the dynamics of non-equilibrium systems.