On the microscopic theory of liquid ⁴He

"A microscopic description of the ground state and elementary excitations of liquid 4He is presented. The variational theory is used in conjunction with a perturbative scheme called correlated basis perturbation theory. The hypernetted-chain technique is used to calculate the various matrix elements. First, the ground state calculations are reviewed with emphasis on the most recent variational calculations. The best available variational wave functions are used to calculate the momentum distribution of the atoms in the ground state and the condensate fraction. We, then, study in detail the energy spectrum of an elementary excitation traveling with momentum k in the liquid. A perturbation theory in a correlated basis generated by Feynman-Cohen (FC) excitations is developed. The expansion in this basis appears to have good convergence. We calculate, up to second order, the effects of the coupling of the one FC excitation to two FC excitations. These corrections to the FC excitations bring the theory in close agreement with the neutron scattering measurements. This perturbation expansion is also used to microscopically calculate the dynamic liquid structure function S(k,IU), known from neutron inelastic scattering experiments. The calculated strength Z(k) of the one quasiparticle excitation and the contribution of the two quasiparticle states to S(k,w) are in semiquantitative agreement with those inferred from the data. Finally, the structure of the excitations' is studied by evaluating the change [equation] in the momentum distribution of the particles due to the creation of one quasiparticle excitation traveling with momentum k in the liquid. This study provides an insight in the nature of the elementary excitations; it brings out the collective and ""quasi-free particle"" character of the excitations in the long and short wave length limits respectively, and the interplay between these two behaviours at intermediate momenta. The is used to determine the momentum distribution and condensate fraction at low temperatures."

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Physics

Year dc:date

2011

Author dc:creator

• Manousakis, Efstratios

Contributors dc:contributor

• Pandharipande, V.R.

• microscopic theory
• liquid 4He
• elementary excitations
• variational theory
• correlated basis perturbation theory

Statement dc:rights

• 1985 Efstratios Manousakis

Language dc:language

en

Identifier

862789

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/25287