{
  "abstract": "Heavy-quark spin dynamics in the quark-gluon plasma provides a potential probe of the interaction between heavy quarks and the medium. We develop a stochastic framework in which the random momentum kicks responsible for heavy-quark diffusion also induce spin rotation through Thomas precession. Starting from the Thomas-Bargmann-Michel-Telegdi equation and a Langevin equation for heavy-quark momentum, we derive a novel coupled spin-momentum Fokker-Planck equation. In the heavy-quark limit, where momentum equilibrates faster than spin, the momentum degrees of freedom can be integrated out, yielding a rotational Fokker-Planck equation for the spin orientation. This establishes a direct relation between the Thomas precession contribution to the spin-relaxation time $τ_{s}$ and the heavy-quark momentum-diffusion coefficient $κ$. In the non-relativistic limit, we find $τ_s=2τ_p(m_Q/T)^2$, with $τ_p$ being the momentum relaxation time. Using recent determinations of $κ$ from lattice QCD, strong-coupling estimates, $T$-matrix calculations, and heavy-flavor phenomenology, we obtain the corresponding Thomas precession contribution to spin relaxation times for charm and bottom quarks. Relativistic kinematics modify the result by only a modest amount over the temperature range relevant for heavy-ion collisions, while the uncertainty is dominated by that of $κ$. We emphasize that the result represents the Thomas precession contribution to heavy-quark spin relaxation; direct coupling to the chromomagnetic field provides an additional channel.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": "2610.01791",
  "author_total": 4,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "Ankit Kumar"
    },
    {
      "name": "Sourav Dey"
    },
    {
      "name": "Vinod Chandra"
    },
    {
      "name": "Amaresh Jaiswal"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/fbb79ekjeh78y.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.48550/arxiv.2610.01791",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "fbb79ekjeh78y",
  "issns": [],
  "landing_url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.01791",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": "CC0-1.0",
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "arxiv",
      "hep-ph"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "3106|High-Energy Particle Collisions Research"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7216560351",
  "pdf_url": "https://arxiv.org/pdf/2610.01791",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-01",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/fbb79ekjeh78y.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:26:03Z",
      "native_id": "2610.01791",
      "source": "arxiv",
      "url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.01791"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "physics",
      "origin": "arxiv:hep-ph",
      "subfield": "high-energy"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Spin relaxation of heavy quarks from momentum diffusion in the quark-gluon plasma",
  "title_text": "Spin relaxation of heavy quarks from momentum diffusion in the quark-gluon plasma",
  "type": "preprint",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:26:03Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/fbb79ekjeh78y",
  "venue": "arXiv",
  "versions": []
}