Volume in phase space- Louviles theorem

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the proof of Liouville's theorem, which states that the volume in phase space remains constant, akin to an incompressible fluid. The velocity field is defined as V=(dpi/dt, dqi/dt), leading to the conclusion that div(V)=0. The continuity equation indicates that the density ρ is constant, resulting in dρ/dt = 0, confirming that the phase space volume does not change over time. The proof utilizes Hamilton's equations and the Jacobian determinant to demonstrate that the flow in phase space preserves volume.

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  • Proficiency in calculating Jacobians and determinants
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QuasarBoy543298
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I was looking at the following proof of Louviles theorem :
we define a velocity field as V=(dpi/dt, dqi/dt). using Hamilton equations we find that div(V)=0. using continuity equation we find that the volume doesn't change.
I couldn't figure out the following :

1- the whole point was to show that volume in phase space acts as an incompressible fluid,
but the proof assumed that the current field J is equal to v*constant -assumed ρ=const

2- after that using the continuity equation we said that dρ/dt = 0 so the volume must not change.
I couldn't understand the logical jump over here

I hope someone here can help me understand, thanks in advance!
 
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The problem is often the statement of the theorem. Here's as I understood it's content best (I don't remember, where I've found this derivation).

First of all a set of phase-space variables ##(q_i,p_i)## define a ##2f##-dimensional manifold, called phase space. The Hamilton canonical equations of motion
$$\dot{q}_i = \partial_{p_i} H, \quad \dot{p}_i=-\partial_{q_i}H$$
define a flow in phase space.

Now consider each point in some volume of phase space as a particle of a fluid (moving not in usual configuration space but in ##2f##-dimensional phase space!). Now consider an infinitesimal volume element in phase space at time ##t=0## and think about how the volume changes when we let each of its points "flow" according to the Hamiltonian equations. The volume change involves the Jacobian
$$J(t)=\mathrm{det} \frac{\partial(q,p)}{\partial(q_0,p_0)}.$$
The infinitesimal change when going from ##t## to ##t+\mathrm{d} t## is given by
$$J(t+\mathrm{d} t)=\det \frac{\partial(q+\mathrm{d} q,p+\mathrm{d} p)}{\partial(q_0,p_0)} = J(t) \mathrm{det} \left (\hat{1} + \frac{\partial(\mathrm{d} q,\mathrm{d} p)}{\partial(q_0,p_0)} \right)= J(t) \left [1+\frac{\partial \mathrm{d} q_j}{\partial q_j} + \frac{\partial \mathrm{d} p_j}{\partial p_j} \right ].$$
In the last step we have expanded the determinant up to order ##\mathrm{d} q,\mathrm{d} p##. Now this gives together with
$$\frac{\partial \mathrm{d} q_j}{\partial q_j} = \mathrm{d} t \frac{\partial^2 H}{\partial p_j \partial q_j}, \quad \frac{\partial \mathrm{d} p_j}{\partial p_j}=-\mathrm{d} t \frac{\partial^2 H}{\partial q_j \partial p_j}.$$
This gives
$$J(t+\mathrm{d} t)-J(t)=0 \; \Rightarrow \; \dot{J}=0.$$
The Jacobian thus doesn't change due to the flow, and this means that the phase-space volume element ##\mathrm{d}^f p_0 \mathrm{d}^f q_0=\mathrm{d}^f p \mathrm{d}^f q##. The flow of the particles in phase space is thus an incompressible flow, and that's the intuitive content of Liouville's theorem.
 

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