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

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. . 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.