Relaxational effects in radiating stellar collapse

Relaxational effects in stellar heat transport can in many cases be signifi cant. Relativistic Fourier-Eckart theory is inherently quasi-stationary, an d cannot incorporate these effects. The effects are naturally accounted for in causal relativistic thermodynamics, which provides an improved approxim ation to kinetic theory. Recent results, based on perturbations of a static star, show that relaxation effects can produce a significant increase in t he central temperature and temperature gradient for a given luminosity. We use a simple stellar model that allows for non-perturbative deviations from staticity, and confirms qualitatively the predictions of the perturbative models.