We investigate possible entropy production in Yang-Mills (YM) field theory by using a quantum distribution function called Husimi function fH(A, E, t) for YM field, which is given by a coarse graining of Wigner function and non-negative. We calculate the Husimi-Wehrl (HW) entropy SHW(t) = −TrfH log fH defined as an integral over the phase-space, for which two adaptations of the test-particle method are used combined with Monte-Carlo method. We utilize the semiclassical approximation to obtain the time evolution of the distribution functions of the YM field, which is known to show a chaotic behavior in the classical limit. We also make a simplification of the multi-dimensional phase-space integrals by making a product ansatz for the Husimi function, which is found to give a 10-20 per cent over estimate of the HW entropy for a quantum system with a few degrees of freedom. We show that the quantum YM theory does exhibit the entropy production, and that the entropy production rate agrees with the sum of positive Lyapunov exponents or the Kolmogorov-Sinai entropy, suggesting that the chaoticity of the classical YM field causes the entropy production in the quantum YM theory.

We discuss thermalization of isolated quantum systems by using the Husimi-Wehrl entropy evaluated in the semiclassical treatment. The Husimi-Wehrl entropy is the Wehrl entropy obtained by using the Husimi function for the phase space distribution. The time evolution of the Husimi function is given by smearing the Wigner function, whose time evolution is obtained in the semiclassical approximation. We show the efficiency and usefulness of this semiclassical treatment in describing entropy production of a couple of quantum mechanical systems, whose classical counter systems are known to be chaotic. We propose two methods to evaluate the time evolution of the Husimi-Wehrl entropy, the test-particle method and the two-step Monte-Carlo method. We demonstrate the characteristics of the two methods by numerical calculations, and show that the simultaneous application of the two methods ensures the reliability of the results of the Husimi-Wehrl entropy at a given time.

We investigate thermalization process in relativistic heavy ion collisions in terms of the Husimi-Wehrl (HW) entropy defined with the Husimi function, a quantum distribution function in a phase space. We calculate the semiclassical time evolution of the HW entropy in Yang-Mills field theory with the phenomenological initial field configuration known as the McLerran-Venugopalan model in a non-expanding geometry, which has instabilty triggered by initial field fluctuations. HW-entropy production implies the thermalization of the system and it reflects the underlying dynamics such as chaoticity and instability. By comparing the production rate with the Kolmogorov-Sinaï rate, we find that the HW entropy production rate is significantly larger than that expected from chaoticity. We also show that the HW entropy is finally saturated when the system reaches a quasi-stationary state. The saturation time of the HW entropy is comparable with that of pressure isotropization, which is around 1 fm/c in the present calculation in the non-expanding geometry.

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