Classical phase space structure induced by spontaneous symmetry breaking

TL;DR

This paper explores how spontaneous symmetry breaking in nuclear Hamiltonians leads to classical phase space structures, linking quantum collective dynamics with classical rotational behavior in deformed nuclei.

Contribution

It demonstrates that low-energy excitations in deformed nuclei can be described by a combination of angular momentum and angle operators, revealing classical phase space features.

Findings

Excitation operators are linear combinations of angular momentum and angle operators.

Spontaneous symmetry breaking induces classical phase space structures.

The approach connects quantum collective excitations with classical rotational dynamics.

Abstract

The collective dynamics of a many-body system is described as a special case of low-energy quantum dynamics, occurring when the ground state breaks a continuous symmetry of the Hamiltonian. This approach is applied to the spontaneous breaking of the rotational symmetry of a nuclear Hamiltonian. It is shown that the excitation operator of the isovector low-lying angular oscillations in deformed nuclei is a linear combination between angular momentum operators, which generate static rotations, and "angle" operators, which generate the transition to a rotating frame.