Time-dependent density-functional description of nuclear dynamics

Abstract

Many excitation modes of atomic nuclei and their reactions can be described as time-dependent processes, in which nuclei oscillate, rotate, collide, and split. A theoretical framework to describe nuclear dynamics at low energy is the time-dependent density functional theory. This reviews the foundations and extensions of this theory and its applications to nuclear collective motion, including giant resonances, heavy-ion collisions, and shape coexistence. Conceptual differences between nuclear and electronic applications are also discussed.