arXiv subjects
Publications and source records attributed to P. Schuck.
The Barcelona-Catania-Paris-Madrid (BCPM) functional recently proposed to describe nuclear structure properties of finite nuclei is generalized as to include a realistic effective mass. The resulting functional is as good as the previous one in describing binding energies, radii, deformation properties, etc and, in addition, the description of Giant Quadrupole Resonance energies is greatly improved.
The influence of the core polarization on the effective nuclear interaction of asymmetric nuclear matter is calculated in the framework of the induced interaction theory. The strong isospin dependence of the density and spin density fluctuations is studied along with the interplay between the neutron and proton core polarizations. Moving from symmetric nuclear matter to pure neutron matter the crossover of the induced interaction from attractive to repulsive in the spin singlet state is determined as a function of the isospin imbalance.The density range in which it occurs is also determined. For the spin triplet state the induced interaction turns out to be always repulsive. The implications of the results for the neutron star superfluid phases are shortly discussed.
Using the $\hbar$-expansion of the Green's function of the Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov equation, we extend the second-order Thomas-Fermi approximation to generalized superfluid Fermi systems by including the density-dependent effective mass and the spin-orbit potential. We first implement and examine the full correction terms over different energy intervals of the quasiparticle spectra in calculations of finite nuclei. Final applications of this generalized Thomas-Fermi method are intended for various inhomogeneous superfluid Fermi systems.
The Self-Consistent RPA (SCRPA) approach is elaborated for cases with a continuously broken symmetry, this being the main focus of the present article. Correlations beyond standard RPA are summed up correcting for the quasi-boson approximation in standard RPA. Desirable properties of standard RPA such as fullfillment of energy weighted sum rule and appearance of Goldstone (zero) modes are kept. We show theoretically and, for a model case, numerically that, indeed, SCRPA maintains all properties of standard RPA for practically all situations of spontaneously broken symmetries. A simpler approximate form of SCRPA, the so-called renormalised RPA, also has these properties. The SCRPA equations are first outlined as an eigenvalue problem, but it is also shown how an equivalent many body Green's function approach can be formulated.
A microscopic calculation of $α$-cluster preformation probability and $α$ decay width in the typical $α$ emitter $^{212}$Po is presented. Results are obtained by improving a recent approach to describe $α$ preformation in $^{212}$Po [Phys. Rev. C 90, 034304 (2014)] implementing four-nucleon correlations (quartetting). Using the actually measured density distribution of the $^{208}$ Pb core, the calculated alpha decay width of $^{212}$Po agrees fairly well with the measured one.
Nuclear scissors modes are considered in the frame of Wigner function moments method generalized to take into account spin degrees of freedom and pair correlations simultaneously. A new source of nuclear magnetism, connected with counter-rotation of spins up and down around the symmetry axis (hidden angular momenta), is discovered. Its inclusion into the theory allows one to improve substantially the agreement with experimental data in the description of energies and transition probabilities of scissors modes in rare earth nuclei.
Within the context of Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov theory, we study the behavior of superfluid Fermi systems when they pass from a small to a large container. Such systems can be now realized thanks to recent progress in experimental techniques. It will allow to better understand pairing properties at overflow and in general in rapidly varying external potentials.
An effective $α$ particle equation is derived for cases where an $α$ particle is formed on top of a doubly magic nucleus. As an example, we consider $^{212}$Po with the $α$ on top of the $^{208}$ Pb core. We will consider the core nucleus infinitely heavy, so that the $α$ particle moves with respect to a fixed center, i.e., recoil effects are neglected. The fully quantal solution of the problem is discussed. The approach is inspired by the THSR (Tohsaki-Horiuchi-Schuck-Röpke) wave function concept that has been successfully applied to light nuclei. Shell model calculations are improved by including four-particle ($α$-like) correlations that are of relevance when the matter density becomes low. In the region where the $α$-like cluster penetrates the core nucleus, the intrinsic bound state wave function transforms at a critical density into an unbound four-nucleon shell model state. Exploratory calculations for $^{212}$Po are presented. Such preformed cluster states are only hardly described by shell model calculations. Reasons for different physics behavior of an $α$-like cluster with respect to a deuteron-like cluster are discussed.
Given the promising features of the recently proposed Barcelona-Catania-Paris (BCP) functional \cite{Baldo.08}, it is the purpose of this paper to still improve on it. It is, for instance, shown that the number of open parameters can be reduced from 4-5 to 2-3, i.e. by practically a factor of two. One parameter is tightly fixed by a fine-tuning of the bulk, a second by the surface energy. The third is the strength of the spin-orbit potential on which the final result does not depend within the scatter of the values used in Skyrme and Gogny like functionals. An energy rms value of 1.58 MeV is obtained from a fit of these three parameters to the 579 measured masses reported in the Audi and Waspra 2003 compilation. This rms value compares favorably with the one obtained using other successful mean field theories. Charge radii are also well reproduced when compared with experiment. The energies of some excited states, mostly the isoscalar giant monopole resonances, are studied within this model as well.
The theory of quartet condensation is further developed. The onset of quartetting in homgeneous fermionic matter is studied with the help of an in-medium modified four fermion equation. It is found that at very low density quartetting wins over pairing. At zero temperature, in analogy to pairing, a set of equations for the quartet order parameter is given. Contrary to pairing, quartetting only exists for strong coupling and breaks down for weak coupling. Reasons for this finding are detailed. In an application to nuclear matter, the critical temperature for alpha particle condensation can reach values up to around 8 MeV. The disappearance of alpha particles with increasing density, i.e. the Mott transition, is investigated. In finite nuclei the Hoyle state, that is the second 0+ state of 12C is identified as an 'alpha-particle condensate' state. It is conjectured that such states also exist in heavier n-alpha nuclei, like 16O, 20Ne, etc. The sixth 0+ state in 16O is proposed as an analogue to the Hoyle state. The Gross-Pitaevski equation is employed to make an estimate of the maximum number of alpha particles a condensate state can contain. Possible quartet condensation in other systems is discussed briefly.
Self-Consistent RPA is rederived in a consistent way with the help of the Coupled Cluster ground state wave function truncated at the two body level. An exact killing operator for this wave function is introduced allowing for a detailed discussion of the approximation scheme. Several exactly solvable models are reanalyzed under this new perspective giving raise to a quantitative evaluation of the performances of this many body method.
Bose-Fermion pair correlations in a mixture are considered at zero temperature in the T-matrix approximation. Special attention is paid to the Luttinger theorem. In a strict RPA variant of the Nozieres-Schmitt-Rink approach, it is shown that this theorem is respected also in the homogeneous infinite matter case. We calculate the corresponding occupation numbers of fermions and bosons and the condensate depletion. We also show that in the limit of very small boson density, our results are in good agreement with the results found in the literature for the Fermi polaron in strongly imbalanced Fermi-Fermi mixtures.
We investigate the $α$+\oo\ cluster structure in the inversion-doublet band ($K^π=0_{1}^\pm$) states of \nene\ with an angular-momentum-projected version of the Tohsaki-Horiuchi-Schuck-Röpke (THSR) wave function, which was successful "in its original form" for the description of, e.g., the famous Hoyle state. In contrast with the traditional view on clusters as localized objects, especially in inversion doublets, we find that these {\it single} THSR wave functions, which are based on the concept of nonlocalized clustering, can well describe the $K^π=0_1^-$ band and the $K^π=0_1^+$ band. For instance, they have 99.98% and 99.87% squared overlaps for $1^-$ and $3^- $ states (99.29%, 98.79% and 97.75% for $0^+, 2^+$ and $4^+$ states), respectively, with the corresponding exact solution of the $α$+\oo\ resonating group method. These astounding results shed a completely new light on the physics of low energy nuclear cluster states in nuclei: The clusters are nonlocalized and move around in the whole nuclear volume, only avoiding mutual overlap due to the Pauli blocking effect.
Exotic and drip-line nuclei as well as nuclei immersed in a low density gas of neutrons in the outer crust of neutron stars are systematically investigated with respect to their neutron pairing properties. This is done using Skyrme density-functional and different pairing forces such as a density-dependent contact interaction and a separable form of a finite-range Gogny interaction. Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov and BCS theories are compared. It is found that neutron pairing is reduced towards the drip line while overcast by strong shell effects. Furthermore resonances in the continuum can have an important effect counterbalancing the tendency of reduction and leading to a persistence of pairing at the drip line. It is also shown that in these systems the difference between HFB and BCS approaches can be qualitatively large.
Alpha clustering and alpha condensation in lighter nuclei is presently strongly and increasingly discussed in the literature both from the experimental side as from the theoretical one. A discussion of the present status of the theory as well as outlooks for future developements will be presented.
The coupled dynamics of low lying modes and various giant resonances are studied with the help of the Wigner Function Moments method on the basis of Time Dependent Hartree-Fock equations in the harmonic oscillator model including spin-orbit potential plus quadrupole-quadrupole and spin-spin residual interactions. New low lying spin dependent modes are analyzed. Special attention is paid to the spin scissors mode.
The binding energies of deformed even-even nuclei have been analysed within the framework of a recently proposed microscopic-macroscopic model. We have used the semiclassical Wigner - Kirkwood $\hbar$ expansion up to fourth - order, instead of the usual Strutinsky averaging scheme, to compute the shells corrections in a deformed Woods - Saxon potential including the spin-orbit contribution. For a large set of 561 even-even nuclei with $Z\ge 8$ and $N\ge 8$, we find an {\it rms} deviation from the experiment of 610 keV in binding energies, comparable to the one found for the same set of nuclei using the FRDM of Möller and Nix (656 keV). As applications of our model, we explore its predictive power near the proton and neutron drip lines as well as in the superheavy mass region. Next, we systematically explore the fourth - order Wigner - Kirkwood corrections to the smooth part of the energy. It is found that the ratio of the fourth - order to the second - order corrections behaves in a very regular manner as a function of the asymmetry parameter $I=(N-Z)/A$. This allows to absorb the fourth - order corrections into the second - order contributions to the binding energy, which enables to simplify and speed up the calculation of deformed nuclei.
The stability of an unpolarized two-component dipolar Fermi gas is studied within mean-field theory. Besides the known instability towards spontaneous magnetization with Fermi sphere deformation, another instability towards spontaneous formation of a spin-orbit coupled phase with a Rashba-like spin texture is found. A phase diagram is presented and consequences are briefly discussed.