Transport theory of nuclear collective motion
Helmut Hofmann
Abstract
Abstract This chapter develops a quantal transport theory for non-linear nuclear collective motion, the coordinates of which are functionals of the nucleonic degrees of freedom, the latter being interpreted as ‘heat bath’. Introduced on the mean field level the collective variables must be quantized. This is accomplished through the Bohm-Pines method, which leads to an extended Hamiltonian for the entire system. On this basis, transport equations are deduced through a non-perturbative Nakajima-Zwanzig procedure. This scheme is carried out within a locally harmonic approximation, in which all collective forces are linearized locally and in which Gaussian forms are used for propagators of Wigner functions. The diffusion coefficients are determined by the quantal fluctuation dissipation theorem, which for unstable modes requires appropriate analytic continuations. This scheme breaks down below a critical value of temperature identical to that found in the Caldeira-Leggett model for real time propagation. Fundamental properties of these propagators are studied.