The restrictions implied for the time dependent many-body reaction theory by the (TDHF) single determinantal assumption are explored by constructive analysis. A restructured TD-S-HF reaction theory is modelled, not after the initial-value form of the Schroedinger reaction theory, but after the (fully equivalent) S-matrix form, under the conditions that only self-consistent TDHF solutions occur in the theory, every wave function obeys the fundamental statistical interpretation of quantum mechanics, and the theory reduces to the exact Schroedinger theory for exact solutions which are single determinantal. All of these conditions can be accomodated provided that the theory is interpreted on a time-averaged basis, i.e., physical constants of the Schroedinger theory which are time-dependent in the TDHF theory, are interpreted in TD-S-HF in terms of their time averaged values. The resulting reaction theory, although formulated heuristically, prescribes a well defined and unambiguous calculational program which, although somewhat more demanding technically than the conventional initial-value TDHF method, is nevertheless more consonant with first principles, structurally and mechanistically. For its physical predictions do not depend upon the precise location of the distant measuring apparatus, and are in no way influenced by the spurious cross channel correlations which arise whenever the description of many reaction channels is imposed upon one single-determinantal solution. For nuclear structure physics, the TDHF-eigenfunctions provide the first plausible description of exact eigenstates in the time-dependent framework; moreover, they are unencumbered by any restriction to small amplitudes. 14 references.
It is suggested that the TDHF method be viewed, not as an approximation to but as a model of the exact Schroedinger system; that is, as a gedanken many-body experiment whose analysis with digital computers provides data worthy in itself of theoretical study. From such a viewpoint attention is focused on the structural analogies of the TDHF system with the exact theory rather than upon its quantitative equivalence, and the TDHF many-body system is studied as a challenge of its own which, although much simpler than the realistic problem, may still offer complexity enough to educate theorists in the present state of knowledge. In this spirit, the TDHF description of continuum reactions can be restructured from an initial-value problem into a form analogous to the S-matrix version of the Schroedinger theory. The resulting TD-S-HF theory involves only self-consistent single determinantal solutions of the TDHF equations and invokes time averaging to obtain a consistent interpretation of the TDHF analogs of quantities which are constant in the exact theory, such as the S-matrix and the asymptotic reaction channel characteristics. Periodic solutions then play the role of stationary eigenstates in the construction of suitable asymptotic reaction channels. If these periodic channel states occur only at discrete energies, then the resulting channels are mutually orthogonal (on the time average) and the theory exhibits a structure fully analogous to the exact theory. In certain special cases where the periodic solutions are known to occur as an energy continuum, the requirement that the periodicity of the channel solutions be gauge invariant provides a natural requantization condition which (suggestively) turns out to be identical with the Bohr-Sommerfeld quantization rule. 11 references.
Some limitations of the conventional time-dependent Hartree-Fock method for describing complex reactions are noted, and one particular ubiquitous defect is discussed in detail: the post-breakup spurious cross channel correlations which arise whenever several asymptotic reaction channels must be simultaneously described by a single determinant. A reformulated time-dependent---
S-matrix Hartree-Fock theory is proposed, which obviates this difficulty. Axiomatic requirements minimal to assure that the time-dependent---
S-matrix Hartree-Fock theory represents an unambiguous and physically interpretable asymptotic reaction theory are utilized to prescribe conditions upon the definition of acceptable asymptotic channels. That definition, in turn, defines the physical range of the time-dependent---
S-matrix Hartree-Fock theory to encompass the collisions of mathematically well-defined "time-dependent Hartree-Fock droplets." The physical properties of these objects then circumscribe the content of the Hartree-Fock single determinantal description. If their periodic vibrations occur for continuous ranges of energy then the resulting "classical" time-dependent Hartree-Fock droplets are seen to be intrinsically dissipative, and the single determinantal description of their collisions reduces to a "trajectory" theory which can describe the masses and relative motions of the fragments but can provide no information about specific asymptotic excited states beyond their constants of motion, or the average properties of the limit, if it exists, of their equilibrization process. If, on the other hand, the periodic vibrations of the time-dependent Hartree-Fock droplets are discrete in energy, then the time-dependent---
S-matrix Hartree-Fock theory can describe asymptotically the time-average properties of the whole spectrum of such periodic vibrations of these "quantized" time-dependent Hartree-Fock droplets which are asymptotically stationary on a time-averaged basis. Such quantized time-dependent Hartree-Fock droplet spectra promise the closest analog to the rich array of asymptotic channel eigenstates in the exact Schr\"odinger theory which single time-dependent Hartree-Fock self-consistent determinants might describe. Whether the time-dependent Hartree-Fock droplets are classical or quantized is determined by the mathematical properties of the periodic solutions of the time-dependent Hartree-Fock equation. If the droplets are in fact classical, then the question remains open whether an explicit requantization, by assumption, could consistently restore the close structural analogy with the exact theory. We argue that if the statistical interpretation of the single determinantal wave function, which is central to the present restructuring of the conventional time-dependent Hartree-Fock description, were to be found inadmissible, then no basis would remain for considering the determinant as a "wave function" in the Schr\"odinger sense. Finally, we note that the conceptual basis of this time-averaged
S-matrix theory need not be restricted to the time-dependent Hartree-Fock theory, but might apply as well to other nonlinear Schr\"odinger-type models which purport to provide an approximate wave function to describe physical reaction processes.NUCLEAR REACTIONS Structural analysis of scattering theory for time-dependent Hartree-Fock single determinantal wave functions; scattering matrix defined as a time average; channels labeled by time-averaged properties of periodic solutions; time-averaged channel orthogonality; classical and quantal time-dependent Hartree-Fock droplets.
A general method for a microscopic description of nuclear dynamical problems is discussed. The method is based on a functional integral representation for the many-body time evolution operator
U(tf,ti). In the stationary phase limit, a time-dependent mean-field approximation for the matrix elements of
U is obtained. Using standard procedures this allows for extraction of quantum mechanical information about bound states, tunneling, or scattering phenomena in a many-nucleon system. The approximation represents a natural generalization of the time-dependent Hartree-Fock method.NUCLEAR STRUCTURE, NUCLEAR REACTIONS derived mean-field approximation for matrix elements of $\mathrm{exp}(\ensuremath{-}iHt)$ from exact functional integral; discussed relation to static HF, TDHF, and scattering calculations.
We discuss some aspects of implementing the time-dependent Hartree-Fock method in the case of nuclear physics. Topics discussed include implementation of the time-stepping algorithm, considerations involving the effective interaction, and the use (or not) of particular optional terms in the energy density functional, and boundary conditions. Examples of application of the technique to giant resonances and reactions are given, concentrating on issues to do with numerical and conceptual interpretation.
Any time-dependent solution of Schrödinger equation may be always correlated to a solution of Hamilton equations or to a statistical combination of their solutions; only the set of corresponding solutions is somewhat smaller (due to existence of quantization). There is not any reason to the physical interpretation according to Copenhagen alternative as Bell's inequalities are valid in the classical physics only (and not in any alternative based on Schrödinger equation). The advantage of Schrödinger equation consists then in that it enables to represent directly the time evolution of a statistical distribution of classical initial states (which is usual in collision experiments). The Schrödinger equation (without assumptions added by Bohr) may then represent the common physical theory for microscopic as well as macroscopic physical systems. However, together with the last possibility the solutions of Schrödinger equation may be helpful also in analyzing the influence of other statistically distributed properties (e.g., spin orientations or space structures) of individual matter objects forming a corresponding physical system, which goes in principle beyond the classical physics. In any case, the contemporary quantum theory represents the phenomenological approximative description of some matter characteristics only, without providing any insight into quantum mechanism emergence. In such a case it is necessary to take into account more detailed properties at least of some involved objects.
Time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) provides a successful approach to calculate excitation energies of atomic and molecular systems. In part I of this work we present a double-pole approximation (DPA) to the response equations of TDDFT. The double-pole approximation provides an exact description of systems with two strongly coupled excitations which are isolated from the rest of the spectrum. In contrast to the traditional single- pole approximation of TDDFT the DPA also yields corrections to the Kohn-Sham oscillator strengths. Several critical pole separations can be identified, e.g. we find that the pole coupling can cause transitions to vanish entirely from the optical spectrum. We also demonstrate how to invert the double-pole solution which allows us to predict matrix elements of the exchange- correlation kernel fxc from experimental input. This can serve as benchmark for the construction of future approximations for the kernel fxc. Reduced density matrix functional theory (RDMFT) has emerged recently as promising candidate to treat strongly correlated electronic many-body systems beyond traditional density functional theory (DFT). The research within RDMFT was so far focussed on the static theory. In this work we attempt some first steps towards a time-dependent generalization of RDMFT. In part II we derive equations of motion for natural orbitals and occupation numbers. Using the equation of motion for the occupation numbers we show that an adiabatic extension of presently known ground-state functionals of static RDMFT always leads to occupation numbers which are constant in time. From the stationary conditions of the equations of motion for the N-body correlations (correlated parts of the N-body matrices) we derive a new class of ground-state functionals which can be used in static RDMFT. Applications are presented for a one-dimensional model system where the time-dependent many-body Schrödinger equation can be propagated numerically. We use optimal control theory to find optimized laser pulses for transitions in a model for atomic Helium. From the numerically exact correlated wavefunction we extract the exact time evolution of natural orbitals and occupation numbers for (i) laser-driven Helium and (ii) electron-ion scattering. Part III of this work considers time-dependent quantum transport within TDDFT. We present an algorithm for the calculation of extended eigenstates of single- particle Hamiltonians which is especially tailored to a finite-difference discretization of the Schrödinger equation. We consider the propagation of finite mesoscopic systems and demonstrate the limitations of such an approach. To overcome the shortcomings of a description of quantum transport in terms of finite systems we develop a time-propagation scheme for extended states which utilizes a mixed basis representation. Our discretization scheme allows to treat central device and lead regions on the same footing thus preventing artificial reflections at grid boundaries.