KINETIC-THEORY OF SELF-MOTION IN MONATOMIC LIQUIDS

A theory for the memory function of the velocity autocorrelation function for a monatomic liquid is presented, based on a general kinetic approach. Strong emphasis is put on the coupling of the motion of a single particle to the collective motions in its surrounding, splitting the memory function into an essentially binary collision part and a more collective tail, including recollisions to all orders. Numerical comparisons with molecular dynamics data on liquid rubidium have shown quite remarkable agreement.