arXiv subjects

Evgeny Epelbaum

Publications and source records attributed to Evgeny Epelbaum.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2016

Nuclear matter properties with nucleon-nucleon forces up to fifth order in the chiral expansion

The properties of nuclear matter are studied using state-of-the-art nucleon-nucleon forces up to fifth order in chiral effective field theory. The equations of state of symmetric nuclear matter and pure neutron matter are calculated in the framework of the Brueckner-Hartree-Fock theory. We discuss in detail the convergence pattern of the chiral expansion and the regulator dependence of the calculated equations of state and provide an estimation of the truncation uncertainty. For all employed values of the regulator, the fifth-order chiral two-nucleon potential is found to generate nuclear saturation properties similar to the available phenomenological high precision potentials. We also extract the symmetry energy of nuclear matter, which is shown to be quite robust with respect to the chiral order and the value of the regulator.

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arXiv2016

Nuclear binding near a quantum phase transition

How do protons and neutrons bind to form nuclei? This is the central question of ab initio nuclear structure theory. While the answer may seem as simple as the fact that nuclear forces are attractive, the full story is more complex and interesting. In this work we present numerical evidence from ab initio lattice simulations showing that nature is near a quantum phase transition, a zero-temperature transition driven by quantum fluctuations. Using lattice effective field theory, we perform Monte Carlo simulations for systems with up to twenty nucleons. For even and equal numbers of protons and neutrons, we discover a first-order transition at zero temperature from a Bose-condensed gas of alpha particles (4He nuclei) to a nuclear liquid. Whether one has an alpha-particle gas or nuclear liquid is determined by the strength of the alpha-alpha interactions, and we show that the alpha-alpha interactions depend on the strength and locality of the nucleon-nucleon interactions. This insight should be useful in improving calculations of nuclear structure and important astrophysical reactions involving alpha capture on nuclei. Our findings also provide a tool to probe the structure of alpha cluster states such as the Hoyle state responsible for the production of carbon in red giant stars and point to a connection between nuclear states and the universal physics of bosons at large scattering length.

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arXiv2015

Scattering cluster wave functions on the lattice using the adiabatic projection method

The adiabatic projection method is a general framework for studying scattering and reactions on the lattice. It provides a low-energy effective theory for clusters which becomes exact in the limit of large Euclidean projection time. Previous studies have used the adiabatic projection method to extract scattering phase shifts from finite periodic-box energy levels using Lüschers method. In this paper we demonstrate that scattering observables can be computed directly from asymptotic cluster wave functions. For a variety of examples in one and three spatial dimensions, we extract elastic phase shifts from asymptotic cluster standing waves corresponding to spherical wall boundary conditions. We find that this approach of extracting scattering wave functions from the adiabatic Hamiltonian to be less sensitive to small stochastic and systematic errors as compared with using periodic-box energy levels.

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arXiv2015

Nuclear Chiral EFT in the Precision Era

Chiral effective field theory has established itself as the method of choice to study nuclear forces and low-energy nuclear dynamics. I review the status and prospects of this approach and discuss ongoing efforts to advance the precision frontier for ab initio description of few-nucleon systems. Special emphasis is put on the precise determination of the two-nucleon force at fifth order in the chiral expansion, role of the chiral symmetry, the convergence pattern of the chiral expansion and the quantification of the theoretical uncertainties. The discussed topics are essential for ongoing studies towards elucidating the structure of the three-nucleon force which will be briefly addressed as well.

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arXiv2015

Nuclear Lattice Simulations using Symmetry-Sign Extrapolation

Projection Monte Carlo calculations of lattice Chiral Effective Field Theory suffer from sign oscillations to a varying degree dependent on the number of protons and neutrons. Hence, such studies have hitherto been concentrated on nuclei with equal numbers of protons and neutrons, and especially on the alpha nuclei where the sign oscillations are smallest. Here, we introduce the "symmetry-sign extrapolation" method, which allows us to use the approximate Wigner SU(4) symmetry of the nuclear interaction to systematically extend the Projection Monte Carlo calculations to nuclear systems where the sign problem is severe. We benchmark this method by calculating the ground-state energies of the $^{12}$C, $^6$He and $^6$Be nuclei, and discuss its potential for studies of neutron-rich halo nuclei and asymmetric nuclear matter.

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arXiv2015

Ab initio alpha-alpha scattering

Processes involving alpha particles and alpha-like nuclei comprise a major part of stellar nucleosynthesis and hypothesized mechanisms for thermonuclear supernovae. In an effort towards understanding alpha processes from first principles, we describe in this letter the first ab initio calculation of alpha-alpha scattering. We use lattice effective field theory to describe the low-energy interactions of nucleons and apply a technique called the adiabatic projection method to reduce the eight-body system to an effective two-cluster system. We find good agreement between lattice results and experimental phase shifts for S-wave and D-wave scattering. The computational scaling with particle number suggests that alpha processes involving heavier nuclei are also within reach in the near future.

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arXiv2014

Recoil corrections in antikaon-deuteron scattering

The recoil retardation effect in the $K^-d$ scattering length is studied. Using the non-relativistic effective field theory approach, it is demonstrated that a systematic perturbative expansion of the recoil corrections in the parameter $ξ=M_K/m_N$ is possible in spite of the fact that $K^-d$ scattering at low energies is inherently non-perturbative due to the large values of the $\bar KN$ scattering lengths. The first order correction to the $K^-d$ scattering length due to single insertion of the retardation term in the multiple-scattering series is calculated. The recoil effect turns out to be reasonably small even at the physical value of $M_K/m_N\simeq 0.5$.

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arXiv2014

Uncertainties of Euclidean Time Extrapolation in Lattice Effective Field Theory

Extrapolations in Euclidean time form a central part of Nuclear Lattice Effective Field Theory (NLEFT) calculations using the Projection Monte Carlo method, as the sign problem in many cases prevents simulations at large Euclidean time. We review the next-to-next-to-leading order NLEFT results for the alpha nuclei up to $^{28}$Si, with emphasis on the Euclidean time extrapolations, their expected accuracy and potential pitfalls. We also discuss possible avenues for improving the reliability of Euclidean time extrapolations in NLEFT.

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arXiv2014

The Hoyle state in Nuclear Lattice EFT

We review the calculation of the Hoyle state of $^{12}$C in Nuclear Lattice Effective Field Theory (NLEFT) and its anthropic implications for the nucleosynthesis of $^{12}$C and $^{16}$O in red giant stars. We also review the extension of NLEFT to the regime of medium-mass nuclei, with emphasis on the determination of the ground-state energies of the alpha nuclei $^{16}$O, $^{20}$Ne, $^{24}$Mg and $^{28}$Si by means of Euclidean time projection. Finally, we review recent NLEFT results for the spectrum, electromagnetic properties, and alpha-cluster structure of $^{16}$O.

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arXiv2014

Lattice Effective Field Theory for Medium-Mass Nuclei

We extend Nuclear Lattice Effective Field Theory (NLEFT) to medium-mass nuclei, and present results for the ground states of alpha nuclei from $^4$He to $^{28}$Si, calculated up to next-to-next-to-leading order (NNLO) in the EFT expansion. This computational advance is made possible by extrapolations of lattice data using multiple initial and final states. For our soft two-nucleon interaction, we find that the overall contribution from multi-nucleon forces must change sign from attractive to repulsive with increasing nucleon number. This effect is not produced by three-nucleon forces at NNLO, but it can be approximated by an effective four-nucleon interaction. We discuss the convergence of the EFT expansion and the broad significance of our findings for future ab initio calculations.

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arXiv2014

Ab initio calculation of the spectrum and structure of $^{16}$O

We present ab initio lattice calculations of the low-energy even-parity states of $^{16}$O using chiral nuclear effective field theory. We find good agreement with the empirical energy spectrum, and with the electromagnetic properties and transition rates. For the ground state, we find that the nucleons are arranged in a tetrahedral configuration of alpha clusters. For the first excited spin-0 state, we find that the predominant structure is a square configuration of alpha clusters, with rotational excitations that include the first spin-2 state.

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arXiv2013

Lattice effective field theory for nuclei from A = 4 to A = 28

We present an overview of the extension of Nuclear Lattice Effective Field Theory simulations to the regime of medium-mass nuclei. We focus on the determination of the ground-state energies of the alpha nuclei $^{16}$O, $^{20}$Ne, $^{24}$Mg and $^{28}$Si by means of Euclidean time projection.

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arXiv2013

Nuclear Dynamics with Effective Field Theories

These are the proceedings of the international workshop on "Nuclear Dynamics with Effective Field Theories" held at Ruhr-Universitaet Bochum, Germany from July 1 to 3, 2013. The workshop focused on effective field theories of low-energy QCD, chiral perturbation theory for nuclear forces as well as few- and many-body physics. Included are a short contribution per talk.

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arXiv2013

Dependence of the triple-alpha process on the fundamental constants of nature

We present an ab initio calculation of the quark mass dependence of the ground state energies of ^4He, ^8Be and ^{12}C, and of the energy of the Hoyle state in ^{12}C. These investigations are performed within the framework of lattice chiral Effective Field Theory. We address the sensitivity of the production rate of carbon and oxygen in red giant stars to the fundamental constants of nature by considering the impact of variations in the light quark masses and the electromagnetic fine-structure constant on the reaction rate of the triple-alpha process. As carbon and oxygen are essential to life as we know it, we also discuss the implications of our findings for an anthropic view of the Universe. We find strong evidence that the physics of the triple-alpha process is driven by alpha clustering, and that shifts in the fundamental parameters at the \simeq 2 - 3 % level are unlikely to be detrimental to the development of life. Tolerance against much larger changes cannot be ruled out at present, given the relatively limited knowledge of the quark mass dependence of the two-nucleon S-wave scattering parameters. Lattice QCD is expected to provide refined estimates of the scattering parameters in the future.

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arXiv2013

Finite volume effects in low-energy neutron-deuteron scattering

We present a lattice calculation of neutron-deuteron scattering at very low energies and investigate in detail the impact of the topological finite-volume corrections. Our calculations are carried out in the framework of pionless effective field theory at leading order in the low-energy expansion. Using lattice sizes and a lattice spacing comparable to those employed in nuclear lattice simulations, we find that the topological volume corrections must be taken into account in order to obtain correct results for the neutron-proton S-wave scattering lengths.

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arXiv2013

Viability of carbon-based life as a function of the light quark mass

The Hoyle state plays a crucial role in the helium burning of stars that have reached the red giant stage. The close proximity of this state to the triple-alpha threshold is needed for the production of carbon, oxygen, and other elements necessary for life. We investigate whether this life-essential condition is robust or delicately fine-tuned by measuring its dependence on the fundamental constants of nature, specifically the light quark mass and the strength of the electromagnetic interaction. We show that there exist strong correlations between the alpha-particle binding energy and the various energies relevant to the triple-alpha process. We derive limits on the variation of these fundamental parameters from the requirement that sufficient amounts of carbon and oxygen be generated in stars. We also discuss the implications of these results for an anthropic view of the universe.

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arXiv2013

Nuclear Physics with Chiral Effective Field Theory: State of the Art and Open Challenges

Understanding the properties of atomic nuclei and nuclear dynamics from QCD remains a major challenge. Complementary to first attempts along these lines based on lattice QCD, an effective field theory approach has been developed in the past two decades and applied to a variety of nuclear bound states and reactions. I outline the foundations of this method, review selected applications and address some open challenges in this field.

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arXiv2013

Chiral three-nucleon force at N^4LO II: Intermediate-range contributions

We derive the subleading contributions to the two-pion-one-pion exchange and ring three-nucleon force topologies emerging at next-to-next-to-next-to-next-to-leading order in chiral effective field theory. The resulting expressions do not involve any unknown parameters. To study convergence of the chiral expansion we work out the most general operator structure of a local isospin-invariant three-nucleon force. Using the resulting operator basis with 22 independent structures, we compare the strength of the corresponding potentials in configuration space for individual topologies at various orders in the chiral expansion. As expected, the subleading contributions from the two-pion-one-pion-exchange and ring diagrams are large which can be understood in terms of intermediate excitation of the Delta(1232) isobar.

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