SYSTEMATIC-APPROACH TO DEFINE AND CLASSIFY QUANTUM TRANSMISSION AND REFLECTION TIMES

A systematic procedure to define and/or classify local transmission an d reflection times for the pas, sage of a quantum particle through a s tatic potential barrier is described. Previously defined times and new quantities arise as particular cases of the general formalism. Genera lizations for multidimensional and multichannel scattering systems are presented. The one-dimensional results are applied in detail to the r ectangular potential. Other nonlocal approaches based on the current d ensity are also examined, and the ''Hartman effect'' is quantitatively characterized for wave packets.