A self-contained Fortran-90 program based on a classical trajectory model with stochastic breakup is presented, which should be a powerful tool for quantifying complete and incomplete fusion, and breakup in reactions induced by weakly-bound two-body
projectiles near the Coulomb barrier. The code calculates complete and incomplete fusion cross sections and their angular momentum distribution, as well as breakup observables (angle, kinetic energy and relative energy distributions).
The coupled-channels density-matrix technique for nuclear reaction dynamics, which is based on the Liouville-von Neumann equation with Lindblad dissipative terms, is developed with the inclusion of full angular momentum couplings. It allows a quantit
ative study of the role and importance of quantum decoherence in nuclear scattering. Formulae of asymptotic observables that can reveal effects of quantum decoherence are given. A method for extracting energy-resolved scattering information from the time-dependent density matrix is introduced. As an example, model calculations are carried out for the low-energy collision of the $^{16}$O projectile on the $^{154}$Sm target.
Atomic nuclei are complex, quantum many-body systems whose structure manifests itself through intrinsic quantum states associated with different excitation modes or degrees of freedom. Collective modes (vibration and/or rotation) dominate at low ener
gy (near the ground-state). The associated states are usually employed, within a truncated model space, as a basis in (coherent) coupled channels approaches to low-energy reaction dynamics. However, excluded states can be essential, and their effects on the open (nuclear) system dynamics are usually treated through complex potentials. Is this a complete description of open system dynamics? Does it include effects of quantum decoherence? Can decoherence be manifested in reaction observables? In this contribution, I discuss these issues and the main ideas of a coupled-channels density-matrix approach that makes it possible to quantify the role and importance of quantum decoherence in low-energy nuclear reaction dynamics. Topical applications, which refer to understanding the astrophysically important collision $^{12}$C + $^{12}$C and achieving a unified quantum dynamical description of relevant reaction processes of weakly-bound nuclei, are highlighted.
Time-dependent density-matrix propagation is used to demonstrate, in a schematic model of an open quantum system, that the complex potential approach and the Lindblad dissipative dynamics are emph{not} equivalent. While the former preserves coherence
, it is destroyed in the Lindblad dissipative dynamics. Quantum decoherence is the key aspect that makes the difference between the two approaches, indicating that the complex potential model is inadequate for a consistent description of open quantum-system dynamics. It is suggested that quantum decoherence should always be explicitly included when modelling low-energy nuclear collision dynamics within a truncated model space of reaction channels.
The classical dynamical model for reactions induced by weakly-bound nuclei at near-barrier energies is developed further. It allows a quantitative study of the role and importance of incomplete fusion dynamics in asymptotic observables, such as the p
opulation of high-spin states in reaction products as well as the angular distribution of direct alpha-production. Model calculations indicate that incomplete fusion is an effective mechanism for populating high-spin states, and its contribution to the direct alpha production yield diminishes with decreasing energy towards the Coulomb barrier. It also becomes notably separated in angles from the contribution of no-capture breakup events. This should facilitate the experimental disentanglement of these competing reaction processes.
