The path integral representation has been successfully applied to the study of equilibrium properties of quantum systems for a long time. In particular, such a representation allowed Ginibre to prove the convergence of the low-fugacity expansions for systems with short-range interactions. First, I will show that the crucial trick underlying Ginibre's proof is the introduction of an equivalent classical system made with loops. Within the Feynman-Kac formula for the density matrix, such loops naturally emerge by collecting together the paths followed by particles exchanged in a given cyclic permutation. Two loops interact via an average of two- body genuine interactions between particles belonging to different loops, while the interactions between particles inside a given loop are accounted for in a loop fugacity. It turns out that the grand-partition function of the genuine quantum system exactly reduces to its classical counterpart for the gas of loops. The corresponding so-called magic formula can be combined with standard Mayer diagrammatics for the classical gas of loops. This provides low-density representations for the quantum correlations or thermodynamical functions, which are quite useful when collective effects must be taken into account properly. Indeed, resummations and or reorganizations of Mayer graphs can be performed by exploiting their remarkable topological and combinatorial properties, while statistical weights and bonds are purely c-numbers. The interest of that method will be illustrated through a brief description of its application to two long-standing problems, namely recombination in Coulomb systems and condensation in the interacting Bose gas.
The method of correlated basis functions provides a means of systematically exploiting our intuitive understanding of real physical systems. Here we seek especially to develop a formalism for describing systems of strongly interacting fermions, for example, nuclei and liquid
He3, using a complete set of correlated functions ${\ensuremath{\Psi}}_{\mathrm{m}}=\frac{F{\ensuremath{\Phi}}_{\mathrm{m}}}{{({\ensuremath{\Phi}}_{\mathrm{m}}, {F}^{2}{\ensuremath{\Phi}}_{\mathrm{m}})}^{\frac{1}{2}}}$.
F is taken as a product of two-body factors, $\ensuremath{\Pi}{i<j}^{}[f({r}_{\mathrm{ij}})]$, the
f(rij) embodying at least the correlations arising from strong short-range repulsions; and ${{\ensuremath{\Phi}}_{\mathrm{m}}}$, a set of independent-particle-model functions which might serve as a basis in the absence of highly singular interactions. The matrix elements
Hmn,
Nmn of the Hamiltonian and identity operators with respect to the correlated basis ${{\ensuremath{\Psi}}_{\mathrm{m}}}$ are evaluated by generalization of cluster-expansion techniques developed originally for the calculation of the partition function of a classical imperfect gas and adapted to the quantum-mechanical many-body problem by Iwamoto and Yamada. Contributions to our expansions for the
Hmn are classified according to order of magnitude in the quantity $\ensuremath{\rho}\ensuremath{\omega}$, where $\ensuremath{\omega}=\ensuremath{\int}({f}^{2}(r)\ensuremath{-}1)d\mathrm{r}$ is a "correlation parameter" and $\ensuremath{\rho}$ the average particle density. To the extent that $|\ensuremath{\rho}\ensuremath{\omega}|$ is small, it provides a true expansion parameter. A detailed technical discussion of the cluster expansions is given, with special emphasis on their symmetry properties upon truncation. Although the many-body problem is soluble by simultaneous diagonalization of the matrices (
Hmn) and (
Nmn), it is preferable first to transform to an orthonormal basis of "unperturbed" correlated functions ${{\ensuremath{\Theta}}_{\mathrm{m}}}$ with respect to which the Hamiltonian and identity operators have the matrix representations (
Hmn) and $({N}_{\mathrm{mn}})=({\ensuremath{\delta}}_{\mathrm{mn}})$, and then to attempt the separate diagonalization of (
Hmn). In general, such a transformation is expedited by the L\"owdin procedure carried out to the desired order in $\ensuremath{\rho}\ensuremath{\omega}$. However, a Schmidt orthogonalization scheme might prove more advantageous in specific cases. Field-theoretic techniques (of both perturbative and nonperturbative nature) may be brought to bear in the diagonalization of (
Hmn). The inverse of the unitary transformation which takes the basis ${{\ensuremath{\Phi}}_{\mathrm{m}}}$ into the basis ${{\ensuremath{\Theta}}_{\mathrm{m}}}$, applied to the given singular Hamiltonian, leads---for any
F in the class considered---to a non-singular "effective Hamiltonian." Following this formal cue, we set out to construct explicitly a second-quantized effective Hamiltonian which generates the same matrix elements, to prescribed order in $\ensuremath{\rho}\ensuremath{\omega}$, when operating between independent-particle kets of the model occupation-number representation, as does the given Hamiltonian in the configuration-space representation, between the corresponding correlated functions of the L\"owdin basis. The quasiparticles described by this effective Hamiltonian interact via well-behaved two-body, three-body, \ifmmode\cdot\else\textperiodcentered\fi{}\ifmmode\cdot\else\textperiodcentered\fi{}\ifmmode\cdot\else\textperiodcentered\fi{},
Q-body, \ifmmode\cdot\else\textperiodcentered\fi{}\ifmmode\cdot\else\textperiodcentered\fi{}\ifmmode\cdot\else\textperiodcentered\fi{} potentials, in contrast to the highly singular two-body interactions of the real particles. For small $|\ensuremath{\rho}\ensuremath{\omega}|$, the effective two-body forces predominate. An avenue to deeper understanding of the applicability of the nuclear-shell model and the dressed-quasiparticle theory of liquid
He3 has been opened. This article treats only the formalism for a uniform extended medium. Numerical calculations, as well as the extension of the method to finite systems, will follow.
A systematic generalization of the Mayer cluster integral theory has been developed to deal with the quantum statistics of interacting particles. The grand partition function appears in a natural way and the cluster integrals are integrals over propagators which are derived from the Green's function solution of the Bloch equation (which follows from the Schroedinger equation by replacing it/ℏ by β = 1/kT). Every cluster integral can be represented by a hybrid of a Mayer graph and a Feynman diagram in (β, r) space. The generalization of classical ring cluster integrals has been analyzed. It is shown that in the case of the electron gas the classical limit of the contribution of these integrals to the grand partition function yields the Debye-Huckel theory while the low temperature limit leads to the Gell-Mann—Brueckner equation for the correlation energy of the ground state. A prescription is given for the construction of the cluster integral associated with any given diagram.
This thesis is a collection of three exact results on correlation and response functions in integrable systems. In the first part we study transport (two-point functions) in the 1D Hubbard model. First, we analyze the limit of large on-site repulsion and characterize spin transport as a function of temperature. Then, we consider the case where the model displays non-abelian symmetries, e.g., spin
SU(2), and argue that in this case transport is anomalous with dynamical scaling exponent
z=3/2 and follows \acrshort{kpz} scaling. In the next two parts we focus instead on (perturbative) nonlinear response functions, which can be expressed as
n-point correlators with
n>2. Given the lack of a systematic understanding of the information which can be extracted from these, we compute them in integrable 1D systems. We therefore focus on two distinct scenarios. In the first scenario, we consider a finite temperature system perturbed by some inhomogeneous field coupling to local charges --- thus the perturbations can only accelerate quasiparticles, but not create/annihilate them. In this context, we develop a diagrammatic framework based on generalized hydrodynamics that allows a systematic calculation of nonlinear response functions. We show that, in the hydrodynamic limit, nonlinear response functions qualitatively distinguish between non-interacting and interacting systems. In the second scenario, we instead consider a zero temperature system whose ground state coincides with the quasiparticle vacuum. In this simpler setting we consider more general perturbations that can also create and annihilate quasiparticles. Focusing on the Ising chain as a paradigmatic model we show that the long-time limit of four-point functions (third-order response) grows linearly in time. We interpret these divergences in terms of semiclassical processes where quasiparticles propagate ballistically and scatter when their trajectories intersect.
By means of a quantum mechanical phase space distribution function
introduced by von Roos, the Schroedinger equation for a non-relativistic
system of N identical particles with scalar interactions is transformed
into a quantum mechanical generalization of the Liouville equation,
thereby formulating the problem in terms of a generalized density in
phase space, a quantity of primary interest in most treatments of the
corresponding classical system (or plasma). This transformation permits
a parallel development of the theories of classical and quantum plasmas
and thus allows the quantum many-body problem to be discussed virtually
completely in classical terms. In particular, a kinetic theory of
quantum plasmas is obtained by deriving the quantum analogue of the BBGKY
hierarchy, and applying thereto approximation techniques similar to those
of Rostocker and Rosenbluth, and Bogoliubov. The point of departure from
similar previous studies based on the Wigner distribution function is that
the proper exchange symmetry can be tractably introduced into the formalism. Attention is first focused on the Hartree and Hartree-Fock approximations,
in which case the quantum BBGKY system reduces to a simple quantum
generalization of the Vlasov equation. This equation is used to study
the response of spatially homogeneous systems to weak external forces,
and the associated problems of plasmon and spin-wave excitations. It is
also used to derive the quantum and exchange corrected equations of
inviscid hydrodynamical transport which are then applied to the problem
of sound propagation in the degenerate electron gas. The second part of the study is concerned with the theory of the
many-electron atom in the Hartree and Hartree-Fock approximations.
The relevant quantum Vlasov equations lead naturally to a statistical
theory of the atom which reduces to the Thomas-Fermi-Amaldi and Thomas Fermi
models (respectively) as ħ → 0. For ħ ≠ 0, the quantum and
exchange corrections to these models are simultaneously generated. The
quantum hydrodynamical theory developed earlier is used to determine
the influence of these corrections on the boundary conditions of the
model, and a theory of the compressed atom is consequently obtained.
Considered in somewhat less detail are the effects of non-zero temperature,
net orbital angular momentum, relativity and correlations, as well as
time dependent processes. The final part deals with the problem of the degenerate electron
gas with a uniform neutralizing background. Going beyond the Hartree-Fock approximation, the pair functions for particles with
parallel and anti-parallel spin are obtained by neglecting three particle
correlations. From these functions, a quantum-mechanical collision
integral is derived which differs from that obtained by Silin
and Guernsey and conjectured by Wyld and Pines in that dynamical exchange
effects are included. Also obtained from the pair function
is an expression for the correlation which reduces in the high
density limit to the result of Gell-Mann and Brueckner. At intermediate
densities an additional term appears in the energy due to the screening
of the exchange interaction by the dielectric properties of the medium.
It is evaluated in the high density limit and found to be -0.151 r_s ln r_s
Ryd/electron in marked disagreement with the corresponding value obtained
by DuBois.
The behavior of the electrons in a dense electron gas is analyzed quantum-mechanically by a series of canonical transformations. The usual Hamiltonian corresponding to a system of individual electrons with Coulomb interactions is first re-expressed in such a way that the long-range part of the Coulomb interactions between the electrons is described in terms of collective fields, representing organized "plasma" oscillation of the system as a whole. The Hamiltonian then describes these collective fields plus a set of individual electrons which interact with the collective fields and with one another via short-range screened Coulomb interactions. There is, in addition, a set of subsidiary conditions on the system wave function which relate the field and particle variables. The field-particle interaction is eliminated to a high degree of approximation by a further canonical transformation to a new representation in which the Hamiltonian describes independent collective fields, with ${n}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ degrees of freedom, plus the system of electrons interacting via screened Coulomb forces with a range of the order of the inter electronic distance. The new subsidiary conditions act only on the electronic wave functions; they strongly inhibit long wavelength electronic density fluctuations and act to reduce the number of individual electronic degrees of freedom by ${n}^{\ensuremath{'}}$. The general properties of this system are discussed, and the methods and results obtained are related to the classical density fluctuation approach and Tomonaga's one-dimensional treatment of the degenerate Fermi gas.