Discrete Quantum Kinetic Equation

Abstract

A semi-classical approach to the study of the evolution of bosonic or fermionic excitations is through the Nordheim—Boltzmann- or, Uehling—Uhlenbeck—equation, also known as the quantum Boltzmann equation. In some low ranges of temperatures—e.g., in the presence of a Bose condensate—also other types of collision operators may render in essential contributions. Therefore, extended— or, even other—collision operators are to be considered as well. This work concerns a discretized version—a system of partial differential equations—of such a quantum equation with an extended collision operator. Trend to equilibrium is studied for a planar stationary system, as well as the spatially homogeneous system. Some essential properties of the linearized operator are proven, implying that results for general half-space problems for the discrete Boltzmann equation can be applied. A more general collision operator is also introduced, and similar results are obtained also for this general equation.