arXiv subjects

D. Gambacurta

Publications and source records attributed to D. Gambacurta.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Proton-Neutron Pairing in N=Z Nuclei within the Quark-Meson-Coupling Energy Density Functional

We investigate the impact of isovector and isoscalar proton-neutron pairing correlations on the ground-state properties of even-even N=Z nuclei with mass numbers between A=16 and A=120. Nuclear mean fields are generated using the quark-meson coupling (QMC) energy density functional, while pairing correlations are treated within the quartet condensation model (QCM). Ground-state energies are obtained from axially deformed, self-consistent QMC+QCM calculations employing a zero-range pairing interaction with a density-dependent term derived consistently within the QMC framework. We show that proton-neutron pairing provides a significant contribution to the binding energies of N=Z nuclei, leading to improved agreement with experimental data.

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arXiv2024

Symmetry-restored Skyrme-Random-Phase-Approximation calculations of the monopole strength in deformed nuclei

Within the Energy Density Functional (EDF) approach, the use of mean-field wave-functions deliberately breaking (some) symmetries of the underlying Hamiltonian is an efficient and largely utilized way to incorporate static correlations. However, the restoration of broken symmetries is eventually mandatory to recover the corresponding quantum numbers and to achieve a more precise description of nuclear properties. While symmetry-restored calculations are routinely performed to study ground-state properties and low-lying excitations, similar applications to the nuclear response are essentially limited to either formal studies or to schematic models. In the present paper, the effect of angular momentum restoration on the monopole and quadrupole responses of doubly open-shell nuclei is investigated. Based on deformed Skyrme-Random Phase Approximation (RPA) calculations, the exact Angular Momentum Projection (AMP) is implemented in the calculation of the multipole strength functions, thus defining a projection after variation (PAV-RPA) scheme. The method is employed for the first time in a realistic study to investigate the effect of AMP on the coupling of monopole and quadrupole modes in $^{24}$Mg resulting from its intrinsic deformation.

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arXiv2022

Coexistence of quartets and pairs in even-even $N>Z$ nuclei

We analyse the structure of the ground states of even-even $N>Z$ nuclei with nucleons moving in the same major shell and interacting via realistic two-body forces of shell-model type. We express the ground states of these nuclei as a product of a quartet term, which represents the $N = Z$ subsystem, and a pair condensate built with the excess neutrons. The accuracy of this approximation is discussed for nuclei with valence nucleons in the $sd$ and $pf$ major shells.

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arXiv2021

Proton-neutron pairing and binding energies of nuclei close to N=Z line

We analyse the contribution of isovector and isoscalar proton-neutron pairing to the binding energies of even-even nuclei with $N-Z=0,2,4$ and atomic mass $20 < A <100$. The binding energies are calculated in the mean-field approach by coupling a Skyrme-type functional to an isovector-isoscalar pairing force of zero range. The latter is treated in the framework of quartet condensation model (QCM), which conserves exactly the particle number and the isospin. The interdependence of pairing and deformation is taken into account by performing self-consistent Skyrme-HF+QCM calculations in the intrinsic system. It is shown that the binding energies are not changing much when the isoscalar pairing is switched on. This fact is related to the off-diagonal matrix elements of the pairing force, which is less attractive for the isoscalar force, and to the competition between the isoscalar and isovector pairing channels.

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arXiv2020

Gamow-Teller strength in $^{48}$Ca and $^{78}$Ni with the charge-exchange subtracted second random-phase approximation

We develop a fully self-consistent subtracted second random-phase approximation for charge-exchange processes with Skyrme energy-density functionals. As a first application, we study Gamow-Teller excitations in the doubly-magic nucleus $^{48}$Ca, the lightest double-$β$ emitter that could be used in an experiment, and in $^{78}$Ni, the single-beta-decay rate of which is known. The amount of Gamow-Teller strength below 20 or 30 MeV is considerably smaller than in other energy-density-functional calculations and agrees better with experiment in $^{48}$Ca, as does the beta-decay rate in $^{78}$Ni. These important results, obtained without \textit{ad hoc} quenching factors, are due to the presence of two-particle -- two-hole configurations. Their density progressively increases with excitation energy, leading to a long high-energy tail in the spectrum, a fact that may have implications for the computation of nuclear matrix elements for neutrinoless double-$β$ decay in the same framework.

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arXiv2020

Beyond-mean-field effects on the symmetry energy and its slope from the low-lying dipole response of $^{68}$Ni

We study low-energy dipole excitations in the unstable nucleus $^{68}$Ni with the beyond-mean-field (BMF) subtracted second random-phase-approximation (SSRPA) model based on Skyrme interactions. First, strength distributions are compared with available experimental data and transition densities of some selected peaks are analyzed. The so-called isospin splitting is also discussed by studying the isoscalar/isovector character of such excitations. We estimate then in an indirect way BMF effects on the symmetry energy of infinite matter and on its slope starting from the BMF SSRPA low-lying strength distribution. For this, several linear correlations are used, the first one being a correlation existing between the contribution (associated with the low-energy strength) to the total energy-weighted sum rule (EWSR) and the slope of the symmetry energy. BMF estimates for the slope of the symmetry energy can be extracted in this way. Correlations between such a slope and the neutron-skin thickness of $^{68}$Ni and correlations between the neutron-skin thickness of $^{68}$Ni and the electric dipole polarizability times the symmetry energy are then used to deduce BMF effects on the symmetry energy.

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arXiv2019

Soft breathing modes in neutron--rich nuclei with the subtracted second random--phase approximation

We analyze the isoscalar response related to breathing modes with particular attention being paid to low-lying excitations in neutron--rich nuclei. We use the subtracted second random--phase approximation (SSRPA) to describe microscopically the response. By increasing the neutron excess, we study the evolution of the response in Ca isotopes going from $^{40}$Ca to $^{48}$Ca and to $^{60}$Ca as well as in $N=20$ isotones going from $^{40}$Ca to $^{36}$S and to $^{34}$Si. Finally, the case of $^{68}$Ni is investigated. We predict soft monopole modes in neutron--rich nuclei which are driven by neutron excitations. At variance with dipole pygmy modes, these neutron excitations are not only strongly dominant at the surface of the nucleus but over its entire volume. The effect of the mixing with two particle-two hole configurations induced by the SSRPA model is analyzed. The properties of such soft neutron modes are investigated in terms of their excitation energies, transition densities and wave--function components. Their collectivity is also discussed as a function of the isospin asymmetry and of the mass of the nucleus. The link between such low--energy compression modes and a compressibility modulus introduced for neutron--rich infinite matter is finally studied.

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arXiv2018

Beyond--mean--field effective masses in the nuclear Fermi liquid from axial breathing modes

Axial breathing modes are studied within the nuclear energy--density--functional theory to discuss the modification of the nucleon effective mass produced beyond the mean--field approximation. This analysis is peformed with the subtracted second random--phase--approximation (SSRPA) model applied to two nuclei, $^{48}$Ca and $^{90}$Zr. Analyzing the centroid energies of axial breathing modes obtained with the mean--field--based random--phase approximation and with the beyond--mean--field SSRPA model, we estimate the modification (enhancement) of the effective mass which is induced beyond the mean field. This is done by employing a relation, obtained with the Landau's Fermi liquid theory, between the excitation frequency of axial modes to $\sqrt{m/m^*}$, where $m$ ($m^*$) is the bare (effective) mass. Such an enhancement of the effective mass is discussed in connection with the renormalization of single--particle excitation energies generated by the energy--dependent SSRPA self-energy correction. We find that the effective beyond--mean--field compression of the single--particle spectrum produced by the self--energy correction is coherent with the increase of the effective mass estimated from the analysis of axial breathing modes.

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arXiv2018

Isovector and isoscalar proton-neutron pairing in $N>Z$ nuclei

We propose a particle number conserving formalism for the treatment of isovector-isoscalar pairing in nuclei with $N>Z$. The ground state of the pairing Hamiltonian is described by a quartet condensate to which is appended a pair condensate formed by the neutrons in excess. The quartets are built by two isovector pairs coupled to the total isospin $T=0$ and two collective isoscalar proton-neutron pairs. To probe this ansatz for the ground state we performed calculations for $N>Z$ nuclei with the valence nucleons moving above the cores $^{16}$O, $^{40}$Ca and $^{100}$Sn. The calculations are done with two pairing interactions, one state-independent and the other of zero range, which are supposed to scatter pairs in time-revered orbits. It is proven that the ground state correlation energies calculated within this approach are very close to the exact results provided by the diagonalization of the pairing Hamiltonian. Based on this formalism we have shown that moving away of N=Z line, both the isoscalar and the isovector proton-neutron pairing correlations remain significant and that they cannot be treated accurately by models based on a proton-neutron pair condensate.

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arXiv2017

Isovector and isoscalar pairing in odd-odd $N=Z$ nuclei within a quartet approach

The quartet condensation model (QCM) is extended for the treatment of isovector and isoscalar pairing in odd-odd N=Z nuclei. In the extended QCM approach the lowest states of isospin T=1 and T=0 in odd-odd nuclei are described variationally by trial functions composed by a proton-neutron pair appended to a condensate of 4-body operators. The latter are taken as a linear superposition of an isovector quartet, built by two isovector pairs coupled to the total isospin T=0, and two collective isoscalar pairs. In all pairs the nucleons are distributed in time-reversed single-particle states of axial symmetry. The accuracy of the trial functions is tested for realistic pairing Hamiltonians and odd-odd N=Z nuclei with the valence nucleons moving above the cores $^{16}$O, $^{40}$Ca and $^{100}$Sn. It is shown that the extended QCM approach is able to predict with high accuracy the energies of the lowest T=0 and T=1 states. The present calculations indicate that in these states the isovector and the isoscalar pairing correlations coexist together, with the former playing a dominant role.

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arXiv2016

Combining symmetry breaking and restoration with configuration interaction: a highly accurate many-body scheme applied to the pairing Hamiltonian

Background: Ab initio many-body methods have been developed over the past ten years to address mid-mass nuclei... As progress in the design of inter-nucleon interactions is made, further efforts must be made to tailor many-body methods. Methods: We formulate a truncated configuration interaction method that consists of diagonalizing the Hamiltonian in a highly truncated subspace of the total N-body Hilbert space. The reduced Hilbert space is generated via the particle-number projected BCS state along with projected seniority-zero two and four quasi-particle excitations. Furthermore, the extent by which the underlying BCS state breaks U(1) symmetry is optimized in presence of the projected two and four quasi-particle excitations... The quality of the newly designed method is tested against exact solutions of the so-called attractive pairing Hamiltonian problem. Results: By construction, the method reproduce exact results for N=2 and N=4. For N=(8,16,20) the error on the ground-state correlation energy is less than (0.006, 0.1, 0.15) % across the entire range of inter-nucleon coupling defining the pairing Hamiltonian and driving the normal-to-superfluid quantum phase transition. The presently proposed method offers the advantage to automatically access the low-lying spectroscopy, which it does with high accuracy. Conclusions: The numerical cost of the newly designed variational method is polynomial (N$^6$) in system size. It achieves an unprecedented accuracy on the ground-state correlation energy, effective pairing gap and one-body entropy as well as on the excitation energy of low-lying states of the attractive pairing Hamiltonian. This constitutes a strong enough motivation to envision its application to realistic nuclear Hamiltonians in view of providing a complementary, accurate and versatile ab initio description of mid-mass open-shell nuclei in the future.

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arXiv2015

Nuclear excitations as coupled one and two random--phase--approximation modes

We present an extension of the random--phase approximation (RPA) where the RPA phonons are used as building blocks to construct the excited states. In our model, that we call double RPA (DRPA), we include up to two RPA phonons. This is an approximate and simplified way, with respect to the full second random--phase approximation (SRPA), to extend the RPA by including two particle--two hole configurations. Some limitations of the standard SRPA model, related to the violation of the stability condition, are not encountered in the DRPA. We also verify in this work that the energy--weighted sum rules are satisfied. The DRPA is applied to low--energy modes and giant resonances in the nucleus $^{16}$O. We show that the model (i) produces a global downwards shift of the energies with respect to the RPA spectra; (ii) provides a shift that is however strongly reduced compared to that generated by the standard SRPA. This model represents an alternative way of correcting for the SRPA anomalous energy shift, compared to a recently developed extension of the SRPA, where a subtraction procedure is applied. The DRPA provides results in good agreeement with the experimental energies, with the exception of those low--lying states that have a dominant two particle--two hole nature. For describing such states, higher--order calculations are needed.

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arXiv2015

Proton-neutron pairing in N=Z nuclei: quartetting versus pair condensation

The isoscalar proton-neutron pairing and isovector pairing, including both isovector proton-neutron pairing and like-particle pairing, are treated in a formalism which conserves exactly the particle number and the isospin. The formalism is designed for self-conjugate (N=Z) systems of nucleons moving in axially deformed mean fields and interacting through the most general isovector and isoscalar pairing interactions. The ground state of these systems is described by a superposition of two types of condensates, i.e., condensates of isovector quartets, built by two isovector pairs coupled to the total isospin T=0, and condensates of isoscalar proton-neutron pairs. The comparison with the exact solutions of realistic isovector-isoscalar pairing Hamiltonians shows that this ansatz for the ground state is able to describe with high precision the pairing correlation energies. It is also shown that, at variance with the majority of Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov calculations, in the present formalism the isovector and isoscalar pairing correlations coexist for any pairing interactions. The competition between the isovector and isoscalar proton-neutron pairing correlations is studied for N=Z nuclei with the valence nucleons moving in the $sd$ and $pf$ shells and in the major shell above $^{100}$Sn. We find that in these nuclei the isovector pairing prevail over the isoscalar pairing, especially for heavier nuclei. However, the isoscalar proton-neutron correlations are significant in all nuclei and they always coexist with the isovector pairing correlations.

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arXiv2015

Subtraction method in the second random--phase approximation: first applications with a Skyrme energy functional

We make use of a subtraction procedure, introduced to overcome double--counting problems in beyond--mean--field theories, in the second random--phase--approximation (SRPA) for the first time. This procedure guarantees the stability of SRPA (so that all excitation energies are real). We show that the method fits perfectly into nuclear density--functional theory. We illustrate applications to the monopole and quadrupole response and to low--lying $0^+$ and $2^+$ states in the nucleus $^{16}$O. We show that the subtraction procedure leads to: (i) results that are weakly cutoff dependent; (ii) a considerable reduction of the SRPA downwards shift with respect to the random--phase approximation (RPA) spectra (systematically found in all previous applications). This implementation of the SRPA model will allow a reliable analysis of the effects of 2 particle--2 hole configurations ($2p2h$) on the excitation spectra of medium--mass and heavy nuclei.

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arXiv2014

Deformation effects on the coexistence between neutron-proton and particle like pairing in N=Z medium mass nuclei

A model combining self-consistent mean-field and shell-model techniques is used to study the competition between particle like and proton-neutron pairing correlations in fp-shell even-even self-conjugate nuclei. Results obtained using constant two-body pairing interactions as well as more sophisticated interactions are presented and discussed. The standard BCS calculations are systematically compared with more refined approaches including correlation effects beyond the independent quasi-particle approach. The competition between proton-neutron correlations in the isoscalar and isovector channels is also analyzed, as well as their dependence on the deformation properties. Besides the expected role of the spin-orbit interaction and particle number conservation, it is shown that deformation leads to a reduction of the pairing correlations. This reduction originates from the change of the single-particle spectrum and from a quenching of the residual pairing matrix elements. The competition between isoscalar and isovector pairing in the deuteron transfer is finally addressed. Although a strong dependence the isovector pairing correlations with respect to nuclear deformation is observed, they always dominate over the isoscalar ones.

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arXiv2012

Second random-phase approximation with the Gogny force. First applications

We present the first applications of the second random-phase-approximation model with the finite-range Gogny interaction. We discuss the advantages of using such an interaction in this type of calculations where 2 particle-2 hole configurations are included. The results found in the present work confirm the well known general features of the second random-phase approximation spectra: we find a large shift, several MeV, of the response centroids to lower energies with respect to the corresponding random-phase-approximation values. As known, these results indicate that the effects of the 1 particle-1 hole/2 particle-2 hole and 2 particle-2 hole/2 particle-2 hole couplings are important. It has been found that the changes of the strength distributions with respect to the standard random-phase-approximation results are particularly large in the present case. This important effect is due to some large neutron-proton matrix elements of the interaction and indicates that these matrix elements (which do not contribute in the mean-field calculations employed in the conventional fit procedures of the force parameters) should be carefully constrained to perform calculations

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arXiv2011

Low-lying dipole response in the stable $^{40,48}$Ca nuclei with the second random-phase approximation

Low-energy dipole excitations are analyzed for the stable isotopes $^{40}$Ca and $^{48}$Ca in the framework of the Skyrme-second random-phase approximation. The corresponding random-phase approximation calculations provide a negligible strength distribution for both nuclei in the energy region from 5 to 10 MeV. The inclusion and the coupling of 2 particle-2 hole configurations in the second random-phase approximation lead to an appreciable dipole response at low energies for the neutron-rich nucleus $^{48}$Ca. The presence of a neutron skin in the nucleus $^{48}$Ca would suggest the interpretation of the low-lying response in terms of a pygmy excitation. The composition of the excitation modes (content of 1 particle-1 hole and 2 particle-2 hole configurations), their transition densities and their collectivity (number and coherence of the different contributions) are analyzed. This analysis indicates that, in general, these excitations cannot be clearly interpreted in terms of oscillations of the neutron skin against the core with the exception of the peak with the largest $B(E1)$ value, which is located at 9.09 MeV. For this peak the neutron transition density dominates and the neutron and proton transition densities oscillate out of phase in the internal part of the nucleus leading to a strong mixing of isoscalar and isovector components. Therefore, this state shows some features usually associated to pygmy resonances.

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arXiv2010

Collective nuclear excitations with Skyrme-Second RPA

Second RPA calculations with a Skyrme force are performed to describe both high- and low-lying excited states in $^{16}$O. The coupling between 1 particle-1 hole and 2 particle-2 hole as well as that between 2 particle-2 hole configurations among themselves are fully taken into account and the residual interaction is never neglected, not resorting therefore to a generally used approximate scheme where only the first kind of coupling is considered. The issue of the rearrangement terms in the matrix elements beyond standard RPA is addressed and discussed. As a general feature of second RPA results, a several-MeV shift of the strength distribution to lower energies is systematically found with respect to RPA distributions. A much more important fragmentation of the strength is also naturally provided by second RPA due to the huge number of 2 particle-2 hole configurations. A better description of the excitation energies of the low-lying 0$^+$ and 2$^+$ states is obtained with second RPA with respect to RPA.

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