Anisotropic hydrodynamics for ultra-relativistic heavy-ion collisions

The recently developed framework of anisotropic hydrodynamics is reviewed. Detailed discussion of the thermodynamic properties of locally anisotropic systems of particles is given. Dynamic equations determining the space-time evolution of highly-anisotropic fluid are presented. The main features of the model are discussed and the relation to standard hydrodynamic frameworks is shown. Using realistic modeling of the initial conditions and the freeze-out process we apply the model to the ultra-relativistic heavy-ion collisions at the Relativistic Heavy-Ion Collider. Various possible scenarios of the anisotropy evolution inspired by microscopic models are analyzed. With the assumed form of the entropy source term, the impact of large momentum-space anisotropies in the early stages of evolution on the observables typically measured in the experiment is shown.