SEMICLASSICAL DYNAMICS IN A FLUCTUATING POTENTIAL

We investigate the Vlasov equation as a semiclassical approximation to quantum dynamics. The effect of the self-consistent mean field is mod eled by a spatially fluctuating potential given in the form of randoml y distributed Gaussians. The comparison of the quantum dynamics to its semiclassical approximation is done using the emittance of a wave pac ket as an observable. The analysis concentrates on the h --> 0 limit o f TDHF by considering a representative test particle problem. We check a formal estimate of the quality of the semiclassical expansion again st practical results. The quality of the semiclassical approach depend s much on the observable of interest. (C) 1997 Academic Press.