Transverse modes and chaos in classical SU(2) Yang-Mills plasma

Abstract

A nonperturbative treatment of the dynamics of purely transverse modes in a classical SU(2) Yang-Mills plasma is carried out. It is found that the equations governing the evolution of transverse modes are similar to the equations for longitudinal modes obtained by Bhatt et al. [4]. We have solved the equations approximately using multiple time scale method. It is observed that in the parameter regime where multiple time scale analysis is valid (when the non-abelian coupling terms are small), a new non-abelian mode appears modulating the frequency of the usual abelian mode. As the non-abelian coupling strength is increased, both frequency and amplitude modulation of the abelian mode is seen. For very large values of non-abelian coupling, chaotic behaviour sets in.