Nonequilibrium Statistical Operator

Nonequilibrium statistical physics is concerned with a fundamental problem in physics, the phenomenon of irreversibility, which is not rigorously solved yet. Different approaches to the statistical mechanics of nonequilibrium processes are based on empirical assumptions, but a rigorous, first principle theory is missing. An important contribution to describe irreversible behavior starting from reversible Hamiltonian dynamics was given by Zubarev, who invented the method of the nonequilibrium statistical operator (NSO). We discuss, in particular, the extended von Neumann equation and the entropy concept in this approach. The method of NSO proved to be a general and universal approach to different nonequilibrium phenomena. Typical applications are the quantum master equation, kinetic theory, and linear response theory which are outlined and illustrated solving standard examples for reaction and transport processes. Some open questions are emphasized

Light clusters in nuclear matter: Excluded volume versus quantum many-body approaches

The formation of clusters in nuclear matter is investigated, which occurs e.g. in low energy heavy ion collisions or core-collapse supernovae. In astrophysical applications, the excluded volume concept is commonly used for the description of light clusters. Here we compare a phenomenological excluded volume approach to two quantum many-body models, the quantum statistical model and the generalized relativistic mean field model. All three models contain bound states of nuclei with mass number A <= 4. It is explored to which extent the complex medium effects can be mimicked by the simpler excluded volume model, regarding the chemical composition and thermodynamic variables. Furthermore, the role of heavy nuclei and excited states is investigated by use of the excluded volume model. At temperatures of a few MeV the excluded volume model gives a poor description of the medium effects on the light clusters, but there the composition is actually dominated by heavy nuclei. At larger temperatures there is a rather good agreement, whereas some smaller differences and model dependencies remain.Comment: 12 pages, 6 figures, published version, minor change

Quartetting in Nuclear Matter

A general theory for the condensation of strongly bound quartets in infinite nuclear matter is presented. Critical temperatures for symmetric and asymmetric nuclear matter are evaluated. A fully nonlinear theory for the quartet order parameter, based on an analogy of the Gorkov approach to pairing, is presented and solved. The strong qualitative difference with pairing is pointed out