Collective motion in quantum mechanics

Abstract

A general method of discussing quantum-mechanical problems involving collective motion is proposed, in which the emphasis is placed on consideration of sets of states rather than single states, and in which the additional collective co-ordinates are not redundant but used to describe the sets. The method is applied to a number of relatively simple examples: plasma oscillations of an electron gas; some problems of nuclear structure including the α-particle model and the collective model; and to two problems in meson field theory, concerning nucleon isobars in strong-coupling theory and concerning nucleon recoil. One of the main aims is to determine as well as possible the parameters of the collective motion; in particular, a formula is given for the moment of inertia of a rotating system.