New family of simple solutions of relativistic perfect fluid hydrodynamics

A new class of accelerating, exact and explicit solutions of relativistic hydrodynamics is found-more than 50 years after the previous similar result, the Landau-Khalatnikov solution. Surprisingly, the new solutions have a simple form, that generalizes the renowned, but accelerationless, Hwa-Bjorken solution. These new solutions take into account the work done by the fluid elements on each other, and work not only in one temporal and one spatial dimensions, but also in arbitrary number of spatial dimensions. They are applied here for an advanced estimation of initial energy density and life-time of the reaction in ultra-relativistic heavy ion collisions. New formulas are also conjectured, that yield further important increase of the initial energy density estimate and the measured life-time of the reaction if the value of the speed of sound is in the realistic range. (c) 2008 Published by Elsevier B.V.