Hydrodynamic Closures for Quantum Kinetic Equations
Abstract
The goal of quantum-hydrodynamic modeling is to derive quantum
mechanical corrections to classical fluid equations via moment
closures of the underlying quantum kinetic equation, i.e. the von
Neumann equation for the density matrix or the Wigner equation for
the Wigner function. These closures are obtained via assumptions on
the phase distribution of the wave functions or from thermodynamic
principles. One of the main problems with all these approaches is
that the collision terms in the quantum kinetic equation are usually
not very well understood. In this talk we give an overview over
recent developments in the derivation of quantum kinetic collision
terms and the resulting closure procedures.
