Model of a self-consistent theory of large amplitude collective motion at finite excitation energy

We illustrate some of the concepts introduced in a recent paper devoted to the formulation of a self-consistent theory of large amplitude collective motion at finite excitation energy. We apply these concepts to a Hamiltonian with the symmetry of $\mathrm{SU}(2)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}\mathrm{SU}(2)$ (a doubled Lipkin model), in which the latter, exemplifying the slow, collective degrees of freedom, interacts with a set of harmonic oscillators representing the fast, noncollective variables. We pass to a mean-field approximation, which implies a collisionless regime, but show as well how the formalism may be extended to include the limit of collisions that establish instantaneous local equilibrium. In the representation of natural orbitals, the variables split into classical canonical sets and occupation numbers of the orbitals. Careful attention is paid to the problem of eliminating the intrinsic canonical coordinates from the equations of motion in such a way (white noise approximation) as to yield dissipative equations of motion for the collective variables. For the case of local equilibrium, the relaxation problem requires in addition an equation relating the slow change in temperature to the slow change of the collective variables. The two limiting relaxation scenarios are studied numerically.