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Self-consistent quantal treatment of decay rates within the perturbed static path approximation
Physical Review. E, Statistical, Nonlinear, and Soft Matter Physics
|December 12, 2001
Summary
This study introduces a novel method to calculate the partition function for finite Fermi systems, enabling microscopic calculation of transport coefficients crucial for understanding metastable system decay.
Area of Science:
- Quantum mechanics
- Statistical physics
- Condensed matter physics
Background:
- Calculating partition functions for finite Fermi systems with separable two-body interactions is complex.
- Understanding the decay of metastable systems requires knowledge of transport coefficients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a microscopic method for calculating the partition function of finite Fermi systems.
- To define and compute transport coefficients governing metastable system decay.
- To apply a formalism similar to the Caldeira-Leggett model for decay rate deduction.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing the perturbed static path approximation framework.
- Introducing collective degrees of freedom via a Hubbard-Stratonovich transformation.
- Applying the formalism above the crossover temperature T(0) to deduce decay rates from free energy.
Main Results:
- A method to microscopically calculate the partition function for finite Fermi systems.
- The definition and microscopic calculation of transport coefficients for metastable systems.
- A pathway to deduce decay rates using free energy above the crossover temperature.
Conclusions:
- The perturbed static path approximation provides a robust framework for analyzing finite Fermi systems.
- The introduced method allows for a detailed microscopic understanding of metastable system dynamics and decay.
- The connection to the Caldeira-Leggett model offers a bridge to established theoretical approaches.
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