We investigate the RPA normal-mode coordinates in the pairing-plus-quadrupo
le model, with an eye on simplifying the application of large amplitude col
lective motion techniques. At the Hartree-Bogoliubov minimum, the RPA modes
are exactly the cranking operators of the collective coordinate approach.
We examine the possibility of representing the self-consistent cranking ope
rator by linear combinations of a limited number of one-body operators. We
study the Sm nuclei as an example, and find that such representations exist
in terms of operators that are state-dependent in a characteristic manner.