arXiv subjects

Jeremy W. Holt

Publications and source records attributed to Jeremy W. Holt.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Nonlocal nucleon-nucleus optical potentials from chiral effective field theory

We investigate the nonlocality in microscopic optical potentials derived from chiral effective field theory. For this purpose we employ the Perey-Buck ansatz, which connects the energy dependence of purely local optical potentials to a Gaussian spatial nonlocality. We find that the dominant source of energy dependence in the microscopic real optical potential indeed arises from spatial nonlocalities, while the energy dependence associated with the microscopic imaginary optical potential is primarily a genuine time nonlocality. We present results for nonlocal nucleon-nucleus optical potentials for the calcium isotopic chain and study the dependence of the Woods-Saxon shape parameters on the isotopic number.

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arXiv2026

Constraining hyperonic relativistic mean-field models with rapidly rotating neutron stars

Motivated by the recent mass measurement of the black-widow pulsar PSR~J0952$-$0607 with $M=2.35\pm0.11\,M_\odot$, we investigate how the masses of heavy, rapidly rotating millisecond pulsars can be used to constrain relativistic mean-field (RMF) models containing hyperonic degrees of freedom. In our approach, hyperons are incorporated following the spin-flavor SU(6) symmetry scheme for the vector-meson couplings. We find that increasing the nonlinear $ω$-meson vector self-coupling parameter $ζ$ suppresses the hyperon fraction and can alter the onset ordering of the $Σ^-$ and $Ξ^-$ hyperons. By computing rotating neutron-star configurations at the observed spin frequency $707\,\mathrm{Hz}$ of PSR~J0952$-$0607, we identify RMF models compatible with this pulsar's observed lower-mass bound. Using an empirical relation for the maximum neutron star mass, the PSR~J0952$-$0607 observational contraint is mapped onto the allowed RMF parameter space in $n_0$, $m^\ast$, and $ζ$.

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arXiv2026

Data-Driven Statistical Ensembles of Chiral Nuclear Interactions

Recent advances in ab initio nuclear theory, machine learning, and Bayesian inference, coupled with increasingly precise nuclear experiments and astrophysical observations, have enabled more robust constraints on fundamental descriptions of the nuclear interaction. Although well-established nonlinear regression methods can identify best-fit sets of low-energy constants at fixed resolution scale, they provide limited insight into the full underlying probability distributions of those constants. A central remaining challenge in nuclear theory is therefore to characterize full probability distributions of nuclear forces across resolution scales. In this work, we employ normalizing flows, a class of expressive generative machine learning models, to infer the joint probability distribution of two-body low-energy constants (LECs) in chiral effective field theory over a wide range of resolution scales. The resulting LEC distributions are shown to accurately reproduce experimental neutron-proton scattering phase-shift distributions. Furthermore, strong non-Gaussian correlations among LECs are revealed, indicating a nontrivial interplay among distinct short-range nuclear dynamics. This work establishes a general framework for constructing statistical ensembles of nuclear interactions that can be systematically constrained by future nuclear experiments and astrophysical observations.

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arXiv2026

Measuring radii of merging neutron stars with interface-mode asteroseismology informed by nuclear theory and experiment

The structure and dynamics of neutron stars can be used to probe the physics of extreme matter at nuclear densities and beyond. Nucleonic matter up to ~2-3 times nuclear saturation density is well-studied by nuclear experiments and theoretical modelling. Matter beyond these densities may contain non-nucleonic degrees of freedom that determine the structure of the neutron star inner core and influence bulk observables like stellar radius. Neutron star radius is a key parameter for constraining the core equation of state, but is not a direct gravitational-wave observable during neutron star mergers. Here we show that, if nucleonic physics is well constrained at low densities, the frequency of the asteroseismic crust-core interface mode in a neutron star can be used to infer its radius to within 5-10%, in a way which is notably insensitive to the details of the inner core. This frequency can be measured through multimessenger coincident timing of resonant shattering flares, or direct observation of dynamical tidal resonance with next-generation gravitational-wave detectors. We show that improved constraints on low-density nucleonic physics by nuclear experimental and theoretical efforts will substantially improve such a radius measurement, leveraging low-density efforts for an improved understanding of physics at higher densities.

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arXiv2026

Neural Quantum States for Light Nuclei with Chiral Two- and Three-Body Interactions

Finding high-quality trial wave functions for quantum Monte Carlo calculations of light nuclei requires a strong intuition for modeling the interparticle correlations as well as large computational resources for exploring the space of variational parameters. Moreover, for systems with three-body interactions, the wave function should account for many-body effects beyond simple pairwise correlations. In this work, we design neural networks that efficiently incorporate these factors to generate expressive wave function Ansätze for light nuclei using variational Monte Carlo. Our neural-network approach for $A=3$ nuclei can capture, already at the level of variational Monte Carlo, the overwhelming majority of the ground-state energy estimated by Green's Function Monte Carlo (GFMC). It achieves a ground-state energy within $0.45\%$ of the GFMC result for $^3\mathrm{H}$ using the softest chiral interaction, representing a substantial improvement over standard variational Monte Carlo, which exhibits a $3.7\%$ deviation. The result indicates the potential of neural networks to construct effective trial wave functions for quantum Monte Carlo calculations.

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arXiv2026

Studying the QCD Matter produced in Heavy-Ion Collisions using the MUSES Calculation Engine

The equation of state of hot and dense matter is essential for describing heavy-ion collisions at all collision energies. Here, we explore the capabilities of the latest version of the MUSES Calculation Engine, $\textit{Calliope}$, focusing on software modules and workflows that compute the equation of state and observable properties of the matter produced in heavy-ion collisions. These include several equations of state, ranging from first-principles lattice QCD to phenomenological approaches, with or without a critical point, and with phase-space dimensionality ranging from two dimensions defined by temperature $T$ and baryon chemical potential $μ_B$, to four dimensions after the addition of strangeness and electric-charge chemical potentials $μ_S$ and $μ_Q$. We also discuss modules that provide additional thermodynamic quantities and observables relevant for heavy-ion modeling, including elements of the pressure Hessian matrix and transport coefficients. Workflow examples are constructed that merge two equations of state thermodynamically consistently to extend phase-diagram coverage, and feed the results into an equation of state inverter to produce inputs suitable for hydrodynamic simulations. Finally, we apply this framework to perform a relativistic viscous hydrodynamic simulation with equations of state with an extended $T$ and $μ_B$ coverage and a movable critical point, including effects from transport coefficients that phenomenologically encode critical scaling, at collision energies $\sqrt{s_{NN}}=7.7, 19.6$, and $39$ GeV.

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arXiv2026

Sensitivity of neutron drip lines and neutron star properties to the symmetry energy

We investigate the influence of the nuclear symmetry energy and its density slope parameter on the neutron dripline and neutron star properties using a semi-classical liquid drop model (LDM) and energy density functionals constrained by chiral effective field theory. To analyze finite nuclei and mass tables, the nuclear symmetry energy at saturation density is fixed, and the surface tension is determined to minimize the root-mean-square deviation of the total binding energy for 2208 nuclei. Correlations between symmetry energy parameters and neutron driplines, crust-core transition densities, and the radii of $1.4\,\msun$ neutron stars are explored using the LDM framework. Additionally, we examine the relationship between macroscopic properties, such as neutron star radii ($R_{1.4}$), and microscopic properties, including the number of isotopes and the last bound nucleus for $Z=28$, within the LDM context.

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arXiv2025

Universal Relation for the Neutron Star Maximum Mass within Relativistic Mean-Field Theories

We obtain a universal relation for the neutron star maximum mass arising from a particular combination of the saturation density ($n_0$), the effective mass ($m^*$), and (when present) the vector meson self-coupling constant ($ζ$) within the relativistic mean-field model framework. Observations of massive neutron stars heavier than $\sim 2M_{\odot}$ have eliminated the softest equation of state from consideration and impose strong constraints on nuclear interactions used to model dense nuclear matter. To date there have been numerous attempts to refine relativistic mean-field models by including the presence of additional mesons, such as the delta meson, and couplings. We show that current RMF models, including our own constructions, exhibit a maximum neutron star mass that is primarily determined by the combination of the saturation density, the effective mass at saturation, and the vector meson self-coupling constant. When constraining the pure neutron matter equation of state using chiral effective field theory (ChEFT) at low densities, 250 parameter sets were generated to derive an empirical formula for the maximum mass of neutron stars and apply the formula with the present relativistic mean field models.

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arXiv2025

Building Neutron Stars with the MUSES Calculation Engine

Exploring the equation of state of dense matter is an essential part of interpreting the observable properties of neutron stars. We present here the first results for dense matter in the zero-temperature limit generated by the MUSES Calculation Engine, a composable workflow management system that orchestrates calculation and data processing stages comprising a collection of software modules designed within the MUSES framework. The modules presented in this work calculate equations of state using algorithms spanning three different theories/models: (1) Crust Density Functional Theory, valid starting at low densities, (2) Chiral Effective Field Theory, valid around saturation density, and (3) the Chiral Mean Field model, valid beyond saturation density. Lepton contributions are added through the Lepton module to each equation of state, ensuring charge neutrality and the possibility of $β$-equilibrium. Using the Synthesis module, we match the three equations of state using different thermodynamic variables and different methods. We then couple the complete equation of state to a novel full-general-relativity solver (QLIMR) module that calculates neutron star properties. We find that the matching performed using different thermodynamic variables affects differently the range obtained for neutron star masses and radii (although never beyond a few percent difference). We also investigate the universality of equation of state-independent relations for our matched stars. Finally, for the first time, we use the Flavor Equilibration module to estimate bulk viscosity and flavor relaxation charge fraction and rates (at low temperature) for Chiral Effective Field Theory and the Chiral Mean Field model.

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arXiv2024

Application of normalizing flows to nuclear many-body perturbation theory

Many-body perturbation theory provides a powerful framework to study the ground state and thermodynamic properties of nuclear matter as well as associated single-particle potentials and response functions within a systematic order-by-order expansion. However, computational challenges can emerge beyond the lowest orders of perturbation theory, especially when computing both single-particle potentials and response functions, which in general are complex-valued and require Cauchy principal value calculations of high-dimensional integrals. We demonstrate that normalizing flows are suitable for Monte Carlo importance sampling of both regular and irregular functions appearing in nuclear many-body calculations. Normalizing flows are a class of machine learning models that can be used to build and sample from complicated distributions through a bijective mapping from a simple base distribution. Furthermore, a well-trained model for a certain target integrand can be efficiently transferred to calculate related integrals with varying physical conditions. These features can enable more efficient tabulations of nuclear physics inputs to numerical simulations of supernovae and neutron star mergers across varying physical conditions and nuclear force models.

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arXiv2024

Motivations for Early High-Profile FRIB Experiments

This white paper is the result of a collaboration by those that attended a workshop at the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB), organized by the FRIB Theory Alliance (FRIB-TA), on Theoretical Justifications and Motivations for Early High-Profile FRIB Experiments. It covers a wide range of topics related to the science that will be explored at FRIB. After a brief introduction, the sections address: (II) Overview of theoretical methods, (III) Experimental capabilities, (IV) Structure, (V) Near-threshold Physics, (VI) Reaction mechanisms, (VII) Nuclear equations of state, (VIII) Nuclear astrophysics, (IX) Fundamental symmetries, and (X) Experimental design and uncertainty quantification.

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arXiv2024

Generative modeling of nucleon-nucleon interactions

Developing high-precision models of the nuclear force and propagating the associated uncertainties in quantum many-body calculations of nuclei and nuclear matter remain key challenges for ab initio nuclear theory. In the present work we demonstrate that generative machine learning models can construct novel instances of the nucleon-nucleon interaction when trained on existing potentials from the literature. In particular, we train the generative model on nucleon-nucleon potentials derived at second and third order in chiral effective field theory and at three different choices of the resolution scale. We then show that the model can be used to generate samples of the nucleon-nucleon potential drawn from a continuous distribution in the resolution scale parameter space. The generated potentials are shown to produce high-quality nucleon-nucleon scattering phase shifts. This work provides an important step toward a comprehensive estimation of theoretical uncertainties in nuclear many-body calculations that arise from the arbitrary choice of nuclear interaction and resolution scale. Source code for this project can be found at https://github.com/pswen2019/Glow-nuclear-potential.git.

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arXiv2024

Resonant shattering flares as asteroseismic tests of chiral effective field theory

Chiral effective field theory ($χ$EFT) has proved to be a powerful microscopic framework for predicting the properties of neutron-rich nuclear matter with quantified theoretical uncertainties up to about twice the nuclear saturation density. Tests of $χ$EFT predictions are typically performed at low densities using nuclear experiments, with neutron star (NS) constraints only being considered at high densities. In this work, we discuss how asteroseismic quasi-normal modes within NSs could be used to constrain specific matter properties at particular densities, not just the integrated quantities to which bulk NS observables are sensitive. We focus on the crust-core interface mode, showing that measuring this mode's frequency would provide a meaningful test of $χ$EFT at densities around half the saturation density. Conversely, we use nuclear matter properties predicted by $χ$EFT to estimate that this mode's frequency is around 185 $\pm$ 50 Hz. Asteroseismic observables such as resonant phase shifts in gravitational-wave signals and multimessenger resonant shattering flare timings, therefore, have the potential to provide useful tests of $χ$EFT.

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arXiv2024

Theoretical and Experimental Constraints for the Equation of State of Dense and Hot Matter

This review aims at providing an extensive discussion of modern constraints relevant for dense and hot strongly interacting matter. It includes theoretical first-principle results from lattice and perturbative QCD, as well as chiral effective field theory results. From the experimental side, it includes heavy-ion collision and low-energy nuclear physics results, as well as observations from neutron stars and their mergers. The validity of different constraints, concerning specific conditions and ranges of applicability, is also provided.

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arXiv2024

Dense Nuclear Matter Equation of State from Heavy-Ion Collisions

The nuclear equation of state (EOS) is at the center of numerous theoretical and experimental efforts in nuclear physics. With advances in microscopic theories for nuclear interactions, the availability of experiments probing nuclear matter under conditions not reached before, endeavors to develop sophisticated and reliable transport simulations to interpret these experiments, and the advent of multi-messenger astronomy, the next decade will bring new opportunities for determining the nuclear matter EOS, elucidating its dependence on density, temperature, and isospin asymmetry. Among controlled terrestrial experiments, collisions of heavy nuclei at intermediate beam energies (from a few tens of MeV/nucleon to about 25 GeV/nucleon in the fixed-target frame) probe the widest ranges of baryon density and temperature, enabling studies of nuclear matter from a few tenths to about 5 times the nuclear saturation density and for temperatures from a few to well above a hundred MeV, respectively. Collisions of neutron-rich isotopes further bring the opportunity to probe effects due to the isospin asymmetry. However, capitalizing on the enormous scientific effort aimed at uncovering the dense nuclear matter EOS, both at RHIC and at FRIB as well as at other international facilities, depends on the continued development of state-of-the-art hadronic transport simulations. This white paper highlights the essential role that heavy-ion collision experiments and hadronic transport simulations play in understanding strong interactions in dense nuclear matter, with an emphasis on how these efforts can be used together with microscopic approaches and neutron star studies to uncover the nuclear EOS.

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arXiv2023

Chiral EFT calculation of neutrino reactions in warm neutron-rich matter

Neutrino scattering and absorption rates of relevance to supernovae and neutron star mergers are obtained from nuclear matter dynamical structure functions that encode many-body effects from nuclear mean fields and correlations. We employ nuclear interactions from chiral effective field theory to calculate the density, spin, isospin, and spin-isospin response functions of warm beta-equilibrium nuclear matter. We include corrections to the single-particle energies in the mean field approximation as well as vertex corrections resummed in the random phase approximation (RPA), including, for the first time, both direct and exchange diagrams. We find that correlations included through the RPA redistribute the strength of the response to higher energy for neutrino absorption and lower energy for antineutrino absorption. This tends to suppress the absorption rate of electron neutrinos across all relevant energy scales. In contrast, the inclusion of RPA correlations enhances the electron antineutrino absorption rate at low energy and supresses the rate at high energy. These effects are especially important at high-density and in the vicinity of the neutrino decoupling region. Implications for heavy element nucleosynthesis, electromagnetic signatures of compact object mergers, supernova dynamics, and neutrino detection from galactic supernovae are discussed briefly.

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arXiv2022

Long Range Plan: Dense matter theory for heavy-ion collisions and neutron stars

Since the release of the 2015 Long Range Plan in Nuclear Physics, major events have occurred that reshaped our understanding of quantum chromodynamics (QCD) and nuclear matter at large densities, in and out of equilibrium. The US nuclear community has an opportunity to capitalize on advances in astrophysical observations and nuclear experiments and engage in an interdisciplinary effort in the theory of dense baryonic matter that connects low- and high-energy nuclear physics, astrophysics, gravitational waves physics, and data science

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arXiv2022

Neutron star radii, deformabilities, and moments of inertia from experimental and ab initio theory constraints on the 208Pb neutron skin thickness

Recent experimental and ab initio theory investigations of the 208Pb neutron skin thickness are sufficiently precise to inform the neutron star equation of state. In particular, the strong correlation between the 208Pb neutron skin thickness and the pressure of neutron matter at normal nuclear densities leads to modified predictions for the radii, tidal deformabilities, and moments of inertia of typical 1.4 solar-mass neutron stars. In the present work, we study the relative impact of these recent analyses of the 208Pb neutron skin thickness on bulk properties of neutron stars within a Bayesian statistical analysis. Two models for the equation of state prior are employed in order to study the role of the highly uncertain high-density equation of state. From our combined Bayesian analysis of nuclear theory, nuclear experiment, and observational constraints on the dense matter equation of state, we find at the 90% credibility level $R_{1.4}=12.36^{+0.38}_{-0.73}$ km for the radius of a 1.4 solar-mass neutron star, $R_{2.0}=11.96^{+0.94}_{-0.71}$ km for the radius of a 2.0 solar-mass neutron star, $Λ_{1.4}=440^{+103}_{-144}$ for the tidal deformability of a 1.4 solar-mass neutron star, and $I_{1.338}=1.425^{+0.074}_{-0.146}\, \times 10^{45}\,\rm{g\,cm}^{2}$ for the moment of inertia of PSR J0737-3039A whose mass is 1.338 solar masses.

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