Quantum statistical effects in nuclear reactions,fission, and open quantum systems

Quantum diffusion equations with time-dependent transport coefficients are derived from generalized non-Markovian Langevin equations. Generalized fluctuation-dissipation relations and analytical formulas for calculating friction and diffusion coefficients in nuclear processes are obtained. The asymptotics of the transport coefficients and of the correlation functions are investigated. The problem of correlation decay in quantum dissipative systems is studied. A comparative analysis of diffusion coefficients for the harmonic and inverted oscillators is performed. The role of quantum statistical effects during passage through a parabolic potential barrier is investigated. Sets of diffusion coefficient assuring the purity of states at any time instant are found in cases of non-Markovian dynamics. The influence of different sets of transport coefficients on the rate of decay from a metastable state is studied in the framework of the master equation for reduced density matrices describing open quantum systems. The approach developed is applied to investigation of fission processes and the processes of projectile-nuclei capture by target nuclei for bombarding energies in the vicinity of the Coulomb barrier. The influence of dissipation and fluctuation on these processes is taken into account in a self-consistent way. The evaporation residue cross sections for asymmetric fusion reactions are calculated from the derived capture probabilities averaged over all orientations of the deformed projectile and target nuclei.     

Quantum non-Markovian Langevin equations and transport coefficients

Quantum diffusion equations featuring explicitly time-dependent transport coefficients are derived from generalized non-Markovian Langevin equations. Generalized fluctuation-dissipation relations and analytic expressions for calculating the friction and diffusion coefficients in nuclear processes are obtained. The asymptotic behavior of the transport coefficients and correlation functions for a damped harmonic oscillator that is linearly coupled in momentum to a heat bath is studied. The coupling to a heat bath in momentum is responsible for the appearance of the diffusion coefficient in coordinate. The problem of regression of correlations in quantum dissipative systems is analyzed.     

Decay rate with coordinate-dependent diffusion coefficients

Using a master equation for the reduced density matrix of open quantum system, the influence of coordinate-dependent microscopical diffusion coefficients on the decay rate from a potential well is studied. For different temperatures, frictions, heights of barrier and ratios of stiffnesses of the potential in the minimum and on the top of the barrier, the quasistationary decay rates are obtained with the sets of coordinate-dependent and -independent microscopical diffusion coefficients, and coordinate-dependent phenomenological diffusion coefficients.     

Transitions between wells and escape by diffusion in a one-dimensional potential landscape

The time-dependence of the occupation probabilities of neighboring wells due to diffusion in one dimension is formulated in terms of a set of generalized rate equations describing transitions between neighboring wells and escape across a final barrier. The equations contain rate coefficients, memory coefficients, and a long-time coefficient characterizing the amplitude of long-time decay. On a more microscopic level the stochastic process is described by a Smoluchowski equation for the one-dimensional probability distribution. A numerical procedure is presented which allows calculation of the transport coefficients in the set of generalized rate equations on the basis of the Smoluchowski equation.     

Dynamics of a Fermi system with resonant dissipation and dynamical detailed balance

The dissipative dynamics of a system of Fermions is described in the framework of a resonance model—the quantum master equation describes two-body correlations of the system with the environment particles. This equation, with microscopic coefficients depending on the exactly known two-body potential between the system and the environment particles, is discussed in comparison with other master equations, obtained on axiomatic grounds, or derived from a coupling with an environment of harmonic oscillators without altering the quantum conditions. The asymptotic solution is in accordance with the detailed balance principle, and with other generally accepted conditions satisfied during the whole time-evolution: Pauli master equations for the diagonal elements of the density matrix, and damped Bloch–Feynman equations for the non-diagonal ones, that we call dynamical detailed balance. For a harmonic oscillator coupled with the electromagnetic field through dipole interaction, a master equation with transition operators between successive levels is obtained. As an application, the decay width of a quantum logic gate is calculated.     

Quantum Maps with Memory from Generalized Lindblad Equation

In this paper, we proposed the exactly solvable model of non-Markovian dynamics of open quantum systems. This model describes open quantum systems with memory and periodic sequence of kicks by environment. To describe these systems, the Lindblad equation for quantum observable is generalized by taking into account power-law fading memory. Dynamics of open quantum systems with power-law memory are considered. The proposed generalized Lindblad equations describe non-Markovian quantum dynamics. The quantum dynamics with power-law memory are described by using integrations and differentiation of non-integer orders, as well as fractional calculus. An example of a quantum oscillator with linear friction and power-law memory is considered. In this paper, discrete-time quantum maps with memory, which are derived from generalized Lindblad equations without any approximations, are suggested. These maps exactly correspond to the generalized Lindblad equations, which are fractional differential equations with the Caputo derivatives of non-integer orders and periodic sequence of kicks that are represented by the Dirac delta-functions. The solution of these equations for coordinates and momenta are derived. The solutions of the generalized Lindblad equations for coordinate and momentum operators are obtained for open quantum systems with memory and kicks. Using these solutions, linear and nonlinear quantum discrete-time maps are derived.     

Refraction of active waves in reaction—diffusion media

The refraction of active waves is analyzed for a stable—metastable reaction—diffusion system consisting of two regions with different diffusion coefficients. The equations governing the evolution of wavefronts are derived by means of an asymptotic perturbation method for boundary layers. These equations describe non-stationary refraction near the steady state regime. It is shown that the dynamics of wavefronts separates into that in the region near the boundary and that far from the boundary.     

Fluctuations and stability of stationary non-equilibrium systems in detailed balance

A generalized thermodynamic potential for Markoffian systems with detailed balance and far from thermal equilibrium has been derived in a previous paper. It was shown that the principle of detailed balance is equivalent to a set of conditions fulfilled by this potential (“potential conditions”). The properties of this potential allow us to extend the validity of a number of thermodynamic concepts well known for systems in or near thermal equilibrium to stationary states far from thermal equilibrium. The concept of symmetry breaking phase transitions for these systems is introduced in analogy to thermal equilibrium systems by considering the dependence of the stationary probability density of the system on a set of externally controlled parameters {λ}. A functional of the time dependent probability density of the system is defined in close analogy to the Gibb's definition of entropy. This functional has the properties of a Ljapunov functional of the governing Fokker-Planck equation showing the stability of the stationary probability density. The Langevin equations connected with the Fokker-Planck equation are considered. It is shown that, by means of the potential conditions, generalized “thermodynamic” fluxes and forces may be defined in such a way that the smoothly varying part of the Langevin equations (kinetic equations) constitutes a linear relation between fluxes and forces. The matrix of coefficients is given by the diffusion matrix of the Fokker-Planck equation. The symmetry relations which hold for this matrix due to the potential conditions then lead to the Onsager-Casimir symmetry relations extended to systems with detailed balance near stationary states far from thermal equilibrium. Finally it is shown that under certain additional assumptions the generalized thermodynamic potential may be used as a Ljapunov function of the kinetic equations.     

Quantum kinetic equation for nonequilibrium dense systems

Using the density matrix method in the form developed by Zubarev, equations of motion for nonequilibrium quantum systems with continuous short range interactions are derived which describe kinetic and hydrodynamic processes in a consistent way. The T-matrix as well as the two-particle density matrix determining the nonequilibrium collision integral are obtained in the ladder approximation including the Hartree-Fock corrections and the Pauli blocking for intermediate states. It is shown that in this approximation the total energy is conserved. The developed approach to the kinetic theory of dense quantum systems is able to reproduce the virial corrections consistent with the generalized Beth-Uhlenbeck approximation in equilibrium. The contribution of many-particle correlations to the drift term in the quantum kinetic equation for dense systems is discussed.     

Kinetic Approach to Reaction and Diffusion in Many-Particle Systems

A derivation of hydrodynamic equations which describe diffusion in connection with reaction processes in many-particle systems is given on the basis of quantum kinetic theory. For this purpose kinetic equations are derived for a quantum gas with chemical reactions. Following Grad's method in a linear approximation reaction-diffusion equations can be obtained with explicite expressions for the diffusion and reaction rate coefficients. The influence of nonideality effects in reaction-diffusion equations is discussed.     

On the theory of fluctuations around non-equilibrium steady states: A generalized time-convolutionless projector formalism

A new method of finding nonlinear Langevin type equations of motion for relevant macrovariables and the corresponding master equation for systems far from thermal equilibrium is presented by generalizing the time-convolutionless formalism proposed previously for equilibrium hamiltoian systems by Tokuyama and Mori. The Langevin type equation consists of a fluctuating force, and the nonlinear drift coefficients which are always identical to those of the master equation. A simple formula which relates the drift coefficients to the time correlation of the fluctuating forces is derived. This is a generalization of the fluctuation-dissipation theorem of the second kind in equilibrium systems and is valid not only for transport phenomena due to internal fluctuations but also for transport phenomena due to externally-driven fluctuations. A new cumulant expansion of the master equation is also obtained. The conditions under which a Langevin and a Fokker-Planck equation of a generalized type for non-equilibrium open systems can be derived are clarified.The theory is illustrated by studying hydrodynamic fluctuations near the Rayleigh-Bénard instability. The effects of two kinds of fluctuations, internal fluctuations of irrelevant macrovariables and external (thermal) noises, on the convective instability are investigated. A stochastic Ginzburg-Landau type equation for the order parameter and the corresponding nonlinear Fokker-Planck equation are derived.     

Spontaneous emission of the non-Wiener type

The spontaneous emission of a quantum particle and superradiation of an ensemble of identical quantum particles in a vacuum electromagnetic field with zero photon density are examined under the conditions of significant Stark particle and field interaction. New fundamental effects are established: suppression of spontaneous emission by the Stark interaction, an additional “decay” shift in energy of the decaying level as a consequence of Stark interaction unrelated to the Lamb and Stark level shifts, excitation conservation phenomena in a sufficiently dense ensemble of identical particles and suppression of superradiaton in the decay of an ensemble of excited quantum particles of a certain density. The main equations describing the emission processes under conditions of significant Stark interaction are obtained in the effective Hamiltonian representation of quantum stochastic differential equations. It is proved that the Stark interaction between a single quantum particle and a broadband electromagnetic field is represented as a quantum Poisson process and the stochastic differential equations are of the non-Wiener (generalized Langevin) type. From the examined case of spontaneous emission of a quantum particle, the main rules are formulated for studying open systems in the effective Hamiltonian representation.     

Exactly Solvable Model of Quantum Diffusion

We study the transport property of diffusion in a finite translationally invariant quantum subsystem described by a tight-binding Hamiltonian with a single energy band. The subsystem interacts with its environment by a coupling expressed in terms of correlation functions which are delta-correlated in space and time. For weak coupling, the time evolution of the subsystem density matrix is ruled by a quantum master equation of Lindblad type. Thanks to the invariance under spatial translations, we can apply the Bloch theorem to the subsystem density matrix and exactly diagonalize the time evolution superoperator to obtain the complete spectrum of its eigenvalues, which fully describe the relaxation to equilibrium. Above a critical coupling which is inversely proportional to the size of the subsystem, the spectrum at given wave number contains an isolated eigenvalue describing diffusion. The other eigenvalues rule the decay of the populations and quantum coherences with decay rates which are proportional to the intensity of the environmental noise. An analytical expression is obtained for the dispersion relation of diffusion. The diffusion coefficient is proportional to the square of the width of the energy band and inversely proportional to the intensity of the environmental noise because diffusion results from the perturbation of quantum tunneling by the environmental fluctuations in this model. Diffusion disappears below the critical coupling     

Friction and diffusion coefficients in coordinate in nonequilibrium nuclear processes

The influence of different sets of friction and diffusion coefficients on the dynamics of a nuclear system is investigated. Taking as an example a dinuclear system we show in a “classic” investigation that with zero diffusion in the coordinate, the uncertainty relation can be violated during short initial times. Sets of diffusion coefficients are found for which the “classic” and quantum diffusion equations give close physical results. The tunneling through an energy barrier is sensitively influenced by the friction and diffusion coefficients in coordinate in the diffusion equation.     

Generalized heat diffusion equations with variable coefficients and their fractalization from the Black-Scholes equation

In this study, we prove that modified diffusion equations, including the generalized Burgers' equation with variable coefficients, can be derived from the Black-Scholes equation with a time-dependent parameter based on the propagator method known in quantum and statistical physics.The extension for the case of a local fractal derivative is also addressed and analyzed.     

Equilibration implies asymptotic stationarity for open quantum systems

We use the exact Nakajima–Zwanzig form of the master equation to show that open quantum systems which exhibit equilibration (or thermalization) by evolving to a time independent asymptotic state, have under certain conditions a reduced density matrix for the system which commutes with the effective system Hamiltonian. We also show that if the initial system–bath density matrix is of product form then the asymptotic reduced density matrix of the system depends only on the diagonal elements of the initial system density matrix in the eigenbasis of the effective Hamiltonian.     

Quantum-mechanical versus semiclassical capture and transport properties in quantum well laser structures

We have studied experimentally and modelled theoretically the capture properties and transport mechanisms of electrons and holes in laser structures. We describe first the extreme case where the barrier thickness is very large: then semiclassical drift-diffusion equations may be applied and quantum-mechanical effects at the edge of the well are negligible. A second extreme case occurs when the barrier is narrow enough for quantum mechanics to apply fully. There, strong variations of the capture time with the well width are expected and observed. In real laser structures, dimensions are such that we are in an intermediate case and both aspects have to be taken into account. We give some typical values for diffusion/capture mechanism induced delay times in such a case.     

Quantum diffusion description of the subbarrier-capture process in heavy-ion reactions

The capture of a projectile nucleus by a target nucleus at bombarding energies below the Coulomb barrier is studied on the basis of the quantum diffusion approach. The results obtained in this way for reactions involving spherical nuclei are in good agreement with available experimental data. It is shown that, beyond the range of nuclear forces, the decrease in the capture cross section as the bombarding energy decreases becomes slower.     

General Non-Markovian Quantum Dynamics

A general approach to the construction of non-Markovian quantum theory is proposed. Non-Markovian equations for quantum observables and states are suggested by using general fractional calculus. In the proposed approach, the non-locality in time is represented by operator kernels of the Sonin type. A wide class of the exactly solvable models of non-Markovian quantum dynamics is suggested. These models describe open (non-Hamiltonian) quantum systems with general form of nonlocality in time. To describe these systems, the Lindblad equations for quantum observable and states are generalized by taking into account a general form of nonlocality. The non-Markovian quantum dynamics is described by using integro-differential equations with general fractional derivatives and integrals with respect to time. The exact solutions of these equations are derived by using the operational calculus that is proposed by Yu. Luchko for general fractional differential equations. Properties of bi-positivity, complete positivity, dissipativity, and generalized dissipativity in general non-Markovian quantum dynamics are discussed. Examples of a quantum oscillator and two-level quantum system with a general form of nonlocality in time are suggested.