arXiv subjects

Tomás R. Rodríguez

Publications and source records attributed to Tomás R. Rodríguez.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Mean-field proton-neutron pairing correlations with the Gogny D1S energy density functional

We study proton-neutron pairing correlations within the Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov (HFB) framework using Gogny-type energy density functionals. By allowing for proton-neutron mixing in the quasi-particle transformation, both isovector ($T=1$) and isoscalar ($T=0$) pairing channels are explicitly included at the mean-field level. The \texttt{TAURUS} code has been extended to treat density-dependent Gogny interactions in this generalized HFB scheme. We examine the numerical behavior of the widely used Gogny D1S functional and compare it with calculations performed using the Hamiltonian-based Brink-Boecker B1 interaction supplemented by a zero-range spin-orbit term. When proton-neutron mixing is included and large single-particle spaces are employed, instabilities are observed for Gogny D1S due to the zero-range density-dependent term contribution to the proton-neutron pairing field, whereas stable solutions are obtained with the B1 interaction. Constrained HFB calculations performed in reduced configuration spaces allow us to explore total energy curves as functions of proton-neutron pairing collective coordinates in selected $sd$-shell nuclei. In all cases studied, the self-consistent minima correspond to vanishing proton-neutron pairing, with energy increasing rapidly as proton-neutron pairing correlations are introduced. These results provide insight into the behavior of Gogny functionals under generalized HFB conditions and offer useful guidance for future developments.

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arXiv2026

Beyond Sphericity in a Semi-Magic Nucleus: Multiple-Shape Coexistence in $^{116}$Sn

The study of nuclear shape evolution and coexistence provides key insight into the nuclear interaction, particularly in semi-magic systems expected to be spherical. A high-precision Coulomb-excitation measurement of $^{116}$Sn yields a comprehensive set of electromagnetic matrix elements, enabling the determination of quadrupole moments of the $2_{1,2,3}^+$ states and intrinsic deformations of the $0_{1,2,3}^+$ states. The results provide an unambiguous and direct proof of the rare phenomenon of multiple-shape coexistence, revealing a weakly deformed ground state incompatible with the spherical shape.

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arXiv2025

M1 dipole strength from projected generator coordinate method calculations in the sd-shell valence space

The low-energy enhancement observed in the deexcitation $γ$-ray strength functions, attributed to magnetic dipole (M1) radiations, has spurred theoretical efforts to improve on its description. Among the most widely used approaches are the quasiparticle random-phase approximation (QRPA) and its extensions. However, these methods often struggle to reproduce the correct behavior of the M1 strength at the lowest $γ$ energies. An alternative framework, the projected generator coordinate method (PGCM), offers significant advantages over QRPA by restoring broken symmetries and incorporating both vibrational and rotational dynamics within a unified description. Due to these features, PGCM has been proposed as a promising tool to study the low-energy M1 strength function in atomic nuclei. However, comprehensive investigations employing this method are lacking. The PGCM is presently used within the frame of sd-shell valence space calculations based on the USDB shell-model interaction to benchmark its performance against the solutions obtained via exact diagonalization. The reliability of two different sets of generator coordinates in the PGCM calculations is gauged using ${}^{24}$Mg as a test case. The ability of the PGCM to reproduce results from exact diagonalization in the sd valence space is demonstrated for $1^{+}$ states and M1 transitions. Future work will need to assess whether the proposed method can be applied systematically and extended to large-scale calculations while maintaining a reasonable computational cost.

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arXiv2025

Deformation from zinc to zirconium

Extensive gamma-ray spectroscopy of very neutron-rich nuclei of isotopes between the Ni and Sn isotopic chains was facilitated by the high luminosity LH2 target system, MINOS. Results show a persistence of deformation when going beyond the N = 60 threshold of the transition between spherical to deformed ground states at N < 60 and N > 60, respectively. Close to 78Ni, a more detailed image of the N > 50 Zn isotopes shows an erosion of the N = 50 shell closure, with core-breaking effects needed from theoretical models to replicate observation. As well as the experimental results indicating collective effects, the projected generator coordinate method is discussed in detail within the context of the neutron-rich Ge isotopes.

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arXiv2025

Nuclear Physics Confronts Relativistic Collisions Of Isobars

High-energy collisions involving the $A=96$ isobars $^{96}$Zr and $^{96}$Ru have been performed in 2018 at Brookhaven National Laboratory's Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) as a means to search for the chiral magnetic effect in QCD. This would manifest itself as specific deviations from unity in the ratio of observables taken between $^{96}$Zr+$^{96}$Zr and $^{96}$Ru+$^{96}$Ru collisions. Measurements of such ratios (released at the end of 2021) indeed reveal deviations from unity, but these are primarily caused by the two collided isobars having different radial profiles and intrinsic deformations. To make progress in understanding RHIC data, nuclear physicists across the energy spectrum gathered in Heidelberg in 2022 as part of an EMMI Rapid Reaction Task Force (RRTF) to address the following question. Does the combined effort of low-energy nuclear structure physics and high-energy heavy-ion physics enable us to understand the observations made in isobar collisions at RHIC?

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arXiv2025

Anisotropic flow in fixed-target $^{208}$Pb+$^{20}$Ne collisions as a probe of quark-gluon plasma

The System for Measuring Overlap with Gas (SMOG2) at the LHCb detector enables the study of fixed-target ion-ion collisions at relativistic energies ($\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}\sim100$ GeV in the centre-of-mass). With input from \textit{ab initio} calculations of the structure of $^{16}$O and $^{20}$Ne, we compute 3+1D hydrodynamic predictions for the anisotropic flow of Pb+Ne and Pb+O collisions, to be tested with upcoming LHCb data. This will allow the detailed study of quark-gluon plasma (QGP) formation as well as experimental tests of the predicted nuclear shapes. Elliptic flow ($v_2$) in Pb+Ne collisions is greatly enhanced compared to the Pb+O baseline due to the shape of $^{20}$Ne, which is deformed in a bowling-pin geometry. Owing to the large $^{208}$Pb radius, this effect is seen in a broad centrality range, a unique feature of this collision configuration. Larger elliptic flow further enhances the quadrangular flow ($v_4$) of Pb+Ne collisions via non-linear coupling, and impacts the sign of the kurtosis of the elliptic flow vector distribution ($c_2\{4\}$). Exploiting the shape of $^{20}$Ne proves thus an ideal method to investigate the formation of QGP in fixed-target experiments at LHCb, and demonstrates the power of SMOG2 as a tool to image nuclear ground states.

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arXiv2024

Multiple shape coexistence in the $N=Z$ $^{84}$Mo nucleus

The structure of the nucleus $^{84}$Mo has been studied using the projected generator coordinate method (PGCM) with the Gogny D1S interaction. The calculations incorporate a mixing of particle-number and angular-momentum projected intrinsic wave functions, defined over triaxial quadrupole degrees of freedom. This approach yields an excellent agreement with the scarce experimental data for this nucleus and several bands based on different shapes are predicted.

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arXiv2024

Shell-model study of $^{28}$Si: coexistence of oblate, prolate and superdeformed shapes

We study the shape coexistence in the nucleus $^{28}$Si with the nuclear shell model using numerical diagonalizations complemented with variational calculations based on the projected generator-coordinate method. The theoretical electric quadrupole moments and transitions as well as the collective wavefunctions indicate that the standard USDB interaction in the $sd$ shell describes well the ground-state oblate rotational band, but misses the experimental prolate band. Guided by the quasi-SU(3) model, we show that the prolate band can be reproduced in the $sd$ shell by reducing the energy of the $0d_{3/2}$ orbital. Alternatively, in the extended $sdpf$ configuration space a modification of the SDPF-NR interaction that accommodates cross-shell excitations also reproduces the oblate and prolate bands. Finally, we address the possibility of superdeformation in $^{28}$Si within the $sdpf$ space. Our results indicate that superdeformed structures appear at about $18$-$20$~MeV.

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arXiv2024

The unexpected uses of a bowling pin: exploiting $^{20}$Ne isotopes for precision characterizations of collectivity in small systems

Whether or not femto-scale droplets of quark-gluon plasma (QGP) are formed in so-called small systems at high-energy colliders is a pressing question in the phenomenology of the strong interaction. For proton-proton or proton-nucleus collisions the answer is inconclusive due to the large theoretical uncertainties plaguing the description of these processes. While upcoming data on collisions of $^{16}$O nuclei may mitigate these uncertainties in the near future, here we demonstrate the unique possibilities offered by complementing $^{16}$O$^{16}$O data with collisions of $^{20}$Ne ions. We couple both NLEFT and PGCM ab initio descriptions of the structure of $^{20}$Ne and $^{16}$O to hydrodynamic simulations of $^{16}$O$^{16}$O and $^{20}$Ne$^{20}$Ne collisions at high energy. We isolate the imprints of the bowling-pin shape of $^{20}$Ne on the collective flow of hadrons, which can be used to perform quantitative tests of the hydrodynamic QGP paradigm. In particular, we predict that the elliptic flow of $^{20}$Ne$^{20}$Ne collisions is enhanced by as much as 1.170(8)$_{\rm stat.}$(30)$_{\rm syst.}$ for NLEFT and 1.139(6)$_{\rm stat.}$(39)$_{\rm syst.}$ for PGCM relative to $^{16}$O$^{16}$O collisions for the 1% most central events. At the same time, theoretical uncertainties largely cancel when studying relative variations of observables between two systems. This demonstrates a method based on experiments with two light-ion species for precision characterizations of the collective dynamics and its emergence in a small system.

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arXiv2024

Symmetry-projected variational calculations with the numerical suite TAURUS II. Configuration mixing of symmetry-projected reference states

We present the numerical codes TAURUS_pav and TAURUS_mix that, combined, perform the configuration mixing of symmetry-projected real general Bogoliubov quasiparticle states represented in a spherical harmonic oscillator basis. The model space considered is invariant under spatial and isospin rotations but no specific set of orbits is assumed such that the codes can carry out both valence-space and no-core calculations. In addition, no number parity is assumed for the Bogoliubov quasiparticle states such that the codes can be used to describe even-even, odd-even and odd-odd nuclei. To demonstrate the potential of the codes, we perform an example no-core calculation of $^{24}$Mg using a modern microscopic interaction.

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arXiv2022

Optimization of the number of intrinsic states included in the discrete Generator Coordinate Method

We present a mechanism to efficiently pre-select the number of intrinsic many-body states that are used to define the many-body wave functions within the discrete Generator Coordinate Method (GCM). This procedure, based on the proper definition of a natural basis of orthonormal states, does not require the evaluation of the non-diagonal Hamiltonian kernels to do the selection and helps to reduce the numerical instabilities. The performance of the method is analyzed in detail in the ground state and $0^{+}$ excited states of some selected nuclei computed with the Gogny energy density functional.

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arXiv2022

Multi-reference many-body perturbation theory for nuclei II -- Ab initio study of neon isotopes via PGCM and IM-NCSM calculations

The neon isotopic chain displays a rich phenomenology, ranging from clustering in the ground-state of the self-conjugate doubly open-shell stable $^{20}$Ne isotope to the physics of the island of inversion around the neutron-rich $^{30}$Ne isotope. This second (i.e. Paper II) of the present series proposes an extensive ab initio study of neon isotopes based on two complementary many-body methods, i.e. the quasi-exact in-medium no-core shell model (IM-NCSM) and the projected generator coordinate method (PGCM) that is ideally suited to capturing strong static correlations associated with shape deformation and fluctuations. Calculations employ a state-of-the-art generation of chiral effective field theory Hamiltonians and evaluate the associated systematic uncertainties. In spite of missing so-called dynamical correlations, which can be added via the multi-reference perturbation theory proposed in the first paper (i.e. Paper I) of the present series, the PGCM is shown to be a suitable method to tackle the low-lying spectroscopy of complex nuclei. Still, describing the physics of the island of inversion constitutes a challenge that seems to require the inclusion of dynamical correlations. This is addressed in the third paper (i.e. Paper III) of the present series.

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arXiv2022

Multi-reference many-body perturbation theory for nuclei III -- Ab initio calculations at second order in PGCM-PT

In spite of missing dynamical correlations, the projected generator coordinate method (PGCM) was recently shown to be a suitable method to tackle the low-lying spectroscopy of complex nuclei. Still, describing absolute binding energies and reaching high accuracy eventually requires the inclusion of dynamical correlations on top of the PGCM. In this context, the present work discusses the first realistic results of a novel multi-reference perturbation theory (PGCM-PT) that can do so within a symmetry-conserving scheme for both ground and low-lying excited states. First, proof-of-principle calculations in a small ($e_{\mathrm{max}}=4$) model space demonstrate that exact binding energies of closed- (\nucl{O}{16}) and open-shell (\nucl{O}{18}, \nucl{Ne}{20}) nuclei are reproduced within $0.5-1.5\%$ at second order, i.e. through PGCM-PT(2). Moreover, profiting from the pre-processing of the Hamiltonian via multi-reference in-medium similarity renormalization group transformations, PGCM-PT(2) can reach converged values within smaller model spaces than with an unevolved Hamiltonian. Doing so, dynamical correlations captured by PGCM-PT(2) are shown to bring essential corrections to low-lying excitation energies that become too dilated at leading order, i.e., at the strict PGCM level. The present work is laying the foundations for a better understanding of the optimal way to grasp static and dynamical correlations in a consistent fashion, with the aim of accurately describing ground and excited states of complex nuclei via ab initio many-body methods.

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arXiv2021

Variational approximations to exact solutions in shell-model valence spaces: systematic calculations in the $sd$-shell

We study the ability of variational approaches based on self-consistent mean-field and beyond-mean-field methods to reproduce exact energies and electromagnetic properties of the nuclei defined within the $sd$-shell valence space using the non-trivial USD Hamiltonian. In particular, Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov (HFB), variation after particle-number projection (VAPNP) and projected generator coordinate methods (PGCM) are compared to exact solutions {obtained by} the full diagonalization of the Hamiltonian. We analyze the role played by the proton-neutron ($pn$) mixing as well as the quadrupole and pairing degrees of freedom (including both isoscalar and isovector channels) in the description of the spectra of even-even, even-odd and odd-odd nuclei in the whole $sd$-shell.

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arXiv2021

Symmetry-projected variational calculations with the numerical suite TAURUS I. Variation after particle-number projection

We present the numerical code TAURUS_vap that solves the variation after particle-number projection equations for symmetry-unrestricted real Bogoliubov quasiparticle states represented in a spherical harmonic oscillator basis. The model space considered is invariant under spatial and isospin rotations but no specific set of orbits is assumed such that the code can carry out both valence-space and no-core calculations. In addition, no number parity is assumed for the Bogoliubov quasiparticle states such that the code can be used to describe even-even, odd-even and odd-odd nuclei. The variational procedure can be performed under several simultaneous constraints on the expectation values of a variety of operators such as the multipole deformations, the pairing field or the components of the angular momentum. To demonstrate the potential and versatility of the code, we perform several example calculations using an empirical shell-model interaction as well as a chiral interaction. The ability to perform advanced variational Bogoliubov calculations offered by this code will, we hope, be beneficial to the shell model and ab initio communities.

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arXiv2016

Systematic study of infrared energy corrections in truncated oscillator spaces

We study the convergence properties of nuclear binding energies and two-neutron separation energies obtained with self-consistent mean-field calculations based on the Hartree-Fock-Bogolyubov (HFB) method with Gogny-type effective interactions. Owing to lack of convergence in a truncated working basis, we employ and benchmark one of the recently proposed infrared energy correction techniques to extrapolate our results to the limit of an infinite model space. We also discuss its applicability to global calculations of nuclear masses.

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arXiv2016

Octupole correlations in the nucleus $^{144}$Ba described with symmetry conserving configuration mixing calculations

We study the interplay of quadrupole and octupole degrees of freedom in the structure of the isotope $^{144}$Ba. A symmetry conserving configuration mixing method (SCCM) based on a Gogny energy density functional (EDF) has been used. The method includes particle number, parity and angular momentum restoration as well as axial quadrupole and octupole shape mixing within the generator coordinate method. Predictions both for excitation energies and electromagnetic transition probabilities are in good agreement with the most recent experimental data.

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arXiv2016

Occupation numbers of spherical orbits in self-consistent beyond-mean-field methods

We present a method to compute the number of particles occupying spherical single-particle (SSP) levels within the energy density functional (EDF) framework. These SSP levels are defined for each nucleus by performing self-consistent mean-field calculations. The nuclear many-body states, in which the occupation numbers are evaluated, are obtained with a symmetry conserving configuration mixing (SCCM) method based on the Gogny EDF. The method allows a closer comparison between EDF and shell model with configuration mixing in large valence spaces (SM-CI) results, and can serve as a guidance to define physically sound valence spaces for SM-CI calculations. As a first application of the method, we analyze the onset of deformation in neutron-rich $N=40$ isotones and the role of the SSP levels around this harmonic oscillator magic number, with particular emphasis in the structure of $^{64}$Cr.

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