On dissipative features of the Vlasov equation. I: Relaxation in Vlasov dynamics (Q1896226)

We analyse the dissipative features exhibited by numerical simulations of the Vlasov equation with self-consistent mean-fields. We show both from a formal and from a numerical point of view that the system relaxes towards a classical Boltzmann distribution. In the case of fermions this implies loss of the quantal or at least semi-classical Pauli exclusion principle, contrarily to what would be naively expected from the equation itself. This effect is at least to be traced back to a numerical dissipation through the test particle method. An application to a typical case encountered in nuclear physics is presented.