https://doi.org/10.1140/epja/s10050-025-01624-3
Review
Nuclear quantum many-body dynamics (2nd edition)
From collective vibrations to heavy-ion collisions
Department of Fundamental and Theoretical Physics and Department of Nuclear Physics and Accelerator Applications, Research School of Physics, The Australian National University, 2601, Canberra, ACT, Australia
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Abstract
This article is a new edition of the review (Eur Phys J A 48:152, 2012). The increase in computational power has naturally led to new applications of mean-field (and beyond) methods. This is particularly the case of quasi-fission reactions. Since the first edition, significant progress has also been made in treating pairing correlations dynamically, leading to realistic applications in multi-nucleon transfer, fusion and fission reactions. A new section has been added on fission dynamics. A summary of recent researches on nuclear dynamics with realistic microscopic quantum approaches is presented. The Balian–Vénéroni variational principle is used to derive the time-dependent Hartree–Fock equation describing the dynamics at the mean-field level, as well as an extension including small-amplitude quantum fluctuations which is equivalent to the time-dependent random-phase approximation. Such formalisms as well as their practical implementation in the nuclear physics framework with modern three-dimensional codes are discussed. Recent applications to nuclear dynamics, from collective vibrations to heavy-ion collisions are presented. A particular attention is devoted to the interplay between collective motions and internal degrees of freedom. For instance, the harmonic nature of collective vibrations is questioned. Large amplitude collective motions are investigated in the framework of heavy-ion collisions and fission. How fusion is affected by the internal structure of the collision partners, such as their deformation, is discussed. Other mechanisms in competition with fusion, and responsible for the formation of fragments which differ from the entrance channel (transfer reactions, deep-inelastic collisions, and quasi-fission) are investigated. Finally, studies of actinide collisions forming, during very short times of few zeptoseconds, the heaviest nuclear systems available on Earth, are presented.
This review article is dedicated to the memory of Paul Bonche who pioneered the application of the time-dependent Hartree–Fock theory to nuclear systems.
The previous edition is: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1140/epja/i2012-12152-0
Change summary Major revision, updated and expanded.
Change details This is a new edition of the review article published by the same author as Eur. Phys. J. A 48, (2012) 152. Since the first edition, the increase in computational power has naturally led to new applications of mean-field (and beyond) methods and significant progress has also been made in treating pairing correlations dynamically, leading to realistic applications in multi-nucleon transfer, fusion and fission reactions. A new section has been added on fission dynamics. A summary of recent researches on nuclear dynamics with realistic microscopic quantum approaches is presented. The Balian–Vénéroni variational principle is used to derive the time-dependent Hartree-Fock (TDHF) equation describing the dynamics at the mean-field level, as well as an extension including small-amplitude quantum fluctuations which is equivalent to the time-dependent random-phase approximation (TDRPA). Such formalisms as well as their practical implementation in the nuclear physics framework with modern three-dimensional codes are discussed. Recent applications to nuclear dynamics, from collective vibrations to heavy-ion collisions are presented. A particular attention is devoted to the interplay between collective motions and internal degrees of freedom. Large amplitude collective motions are investigated in the framework of heavy-ion collisions and fission. How fusion is affected by the internal structure of the collision partners, such as their deformation, is discussed, as are other mechanisms in competition with fusion. Finally, studies of actinide collisions forming, during very short times of few zeptoseconds, the heaviest nuclear systems available on Earth, are presented.
Communicated by Thomas Duguet.
© The Author(s) 2025
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