Chiral torsional effect with finite temperature, density, and curvature

Abstract

We scrutinize the novel chiral transport phenomenon driven by spacetime torsion, namely, the chiral torsional effect (CTE). We calculate the torsion-induced chiral currents with finite temperature, density, and curvature in the most general torsional gravity theory. The conclusion complements the previous study on the CTE by including curvature and substantiates the relation between the CTE and the Nieh-Yan anomaly. We also analyze the response of chiral torsional current to an external electromagnetic field. The resulting topological current is analogous to that in the axion electrodynamics.