Preface

Summary

Most of the matter in the universe can, in some form or other, be treated as a fluid and in several instances (supernova explosions, jets in extragalactic radio sources, accretion onto neutron stars and black holes, high-energy particle beams, high-energy nuclear collisions, etc.) undergoes relativistic motion. This consideration alone should be sufficient to motivate research in relativistic fluids. In the past most of the results on relativistic fluids have been obtained in a piecemeal way, in relation to a particular problem under consideration and using ad hoc techniques. Although this approach is perfectly legitimate in the process of research in the various areas of applications (astrophysics, plasma physics, nuclear physics), in the long run it is unsatisfactory because it tends to obscure the underlying unity of the subject and of the relevant techniques. In fact, a problem tailored approach (instead of a systematic and general one) necessarily precludes utilizing, in a particular area, results obtained in another area, and therefore hinders the cross fertilization of various techniques, a method which has been fruitful in several areas of science.

In 1967 the French mathematician André Lichnerowicz published a masterful monograph on relativistic fluid dynamics and magneto-fluid dynamics, which covered mainly existence and uniqueness results. Since then there has been no other attempt at a systematic development of the subject, although there have been several important developments in the field (particularly in shock wave theory).