Nuclear Quantum Many-Body Dynamics: From Collective Vibrations to Heavy-Ion Collisions (2nd edition)

New edition of the review [EPJA 48, (2012) 152]. The increase in computational power has naturally led to new applications of mean-field (and beyond) methods. This is particularly the case of quasi-fission reactions. Since the first edition, significant progress has also been made in treating pairing correlations dynamically, leading to realistic applications in multi-nucleon transfer, fusion and fission reactions. A new section has been added on fission dynamics. A summary of recent researches on nuclear dynamics with realistic microscopic quantum approaches is presented. The Balian-Veneroni variational principle is used to derive the time-dependent Hartree-Fock (TDHF) equation describing the dynamics at the mean-field level, as well as an extension including small-amplitude quantum fluctuations which is equivalent to the time-dependent random-phase approximation (TDRPA). Such formalisms as well as their practical implementation in the nuclear physics framework with modern three-dimensional codes are discussed. Recent applications to nuclear dynamics, from collective vibrations to heavy-ion collisions are presented. A particular attention is devoted to the interplay between collective motions and internal degrees of freedom. For instance, the harmonic nature of collective vibrations is questioned. Large amplitude collective motions are investigated in the framework of heavy-ion collisions and fission. How fusion is affected by the internal structure of the collision partners, such as their deformation, is discussed. Other mechanisms in competition with fusion, and responsible for the formation of fragments which differ from the entrance channel (transfer reactions, deep-inelastic collisions, and quasi-fission) are investigated. Finally, studies of actinide collisions forming, during very short times of few zeptoseconds, the heaviest nuclear systems available on Earth, are presented.