Correlational latent heat by nonlocal quantum kinetic theory

TL;DR

This paper develops a nonlocal quantum kinetic theory that unifies dense quantum gas transport with Fermi system theories, revealing how correlations mediate latent heat during particle collisions.

Contribution

It introduces a quantum transport framework incorporating nonlocal and non-instantaneous effects, including correlated two-particle contributions beyond Landau theory.

Findings

Correlations mediate latent heat between energy forms.

Sign change in latent heat at a universal scattering length ratio.

Quantum transport recast into a quasi-classical picture.

Abstract

The kinetic equation of nonlocal and non-instantaneous character unifies the achievements of the transport in dense quantum gases with the Landau theory of quasiclassical transport in Fermi systems. Large cancellations in the off-shell motion appear which are hidden usually in non-Markovian behaviors. The remaining corrections are expressed in terms of shifts in space and time that characterize the non-locality of the scattering process. In this way quantum transport is possible to recast into a quasi-classical picture. The balance equations for the density, momentum, energy and entropy include besides quasiparticle also the correlated two-particle contributions beyond the Landau theory. The medium effects on binary collisions are shown to mediate the latent heat, i.e., an energy conversion between correlation and thermal energy. For Maxwellian particles with time-dependent s-wave scattering, the correlated parts of the observables are calculated and a sign change of the latent heat is reported at a universal ratio of scattering length to the thermal De Broglie wavelength. This is interpreted as a change from correlational heating to cooling.