Phase particle integrations of the nuclear vlasov equation

The non-linear Vlasov equation, describing the time development of the one-body Wigner distribution function, is integrated as an initial value problem by following the trajectories of notional phase particles which evolve along its hamiltonian characteristic curves. Initial conditions are generated by galilean transformations of the self-consistent solutions of the static equation obtained assuming a Thomas-Fermi form for the Wigner distribution.Fusion, deep inelastic collisions and fragmentation are all exhibited depending on the bombarding energy per nucleon, in qualitative agreement with the results of comparable TDHF calculations. A simple criterion for determining the boundaries between these phenomena, based on classical penetration of the collective mean field by the phase particles, is found not to be accurate, presumably due to an inadequate allowance for the effects of self-consistency.