Proper Effective Temperature and Order Parameters in Relativistic Non-Equilibrium Steady States

Abstract: We examine the concept of temperature in non-equilibrium steady states. Using the D3-D5 model of gauge/gravity duality, we investigate spontaneous symmetry breaking in a relativistic (2+1)-dimensional defect moving at constant velocity within a (3+1)-dimensional heat bath. We find that the dependence of the order parameter on both the heat bath temperature and the defect velocity can be captured by a single variable -- the proper effective temperature -- for the moving defect. Our results suggest that the proper effective temperature is an essential parameter for a class of relativistic non-equilibrium steady states.