arXiv subjects

Wataru Horiuchi

Publications and source records attributed to Wataru Horiuchi.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2025

Exploring highly-deformed ground states involving the second intruder orbit in Z>50 even-even nuclei

We present a systematic survey of even-even nuclei with $Z>50$ to identify where a very large prolate configuration driven by the second intruder orbit emerges. Within the energy density functional theory framework, we find in representative cases a pronounced prolate minimum at quadrupole deformation $β_2\approx$ 0.3--0.4. A characteristic feature of these minima is a local enhancement of the hexadecapole ($β_4$) component relative to nearby deformations, which is a clear fingerprint of the $β_2$--$β_4$ coupling expected for the second intruder orbit. Representative comparisons among three Skyrme interactions show a similar appearance of the highly deformed minimum and a local enhancement of $β_4$ at the prolate minimum, indicating qualitative robustness with respect to the interaction. The resulting maps highlight specific heavy nuclei where highly deformed ground states are anticipated.

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arXiv2025

Deformation and core$+n$ decoupling in the spectrum of $^{17}$C

The coexistence of various structures, such as diverse shapes and cluster structures, is a fundamental property of atomic nuclei. In neutron-rich nuclei, a core$+n$ structure can compete with nuclear deformation due to the small neutron separation energy. A neutron-rich carbon isotope, $^{17}$C, exemplifies the appearance of the deformation and the core+$n$ decoupling in its spectrum, which is desirable for a deeper understanding of the coexistence phenomena in neutron-rich nuclei. We aim to describe and understand this coexistence phenomenon in the low-lying levels of $^{17}$C in a unified manner considering explicitly the degrees of freedom of both the quadrupole deformation and the relative motion between a $^{16}$C core and a valence neutron. We adopt the generator coordinate method (GCM) with the antisymmetrized molecular dynamics (AMD) to describe various configurations. We superpose various basis wave functions generated by the energy variation by imposing two types of constraints: one incorporating the degree of the quadrupole deformation and the other taking care of the relative motion between a $^{16}$C core and a valence neutron. We find that the experimental energy level is well reproduced by the present method, including both deformed and $^{16}$C+$n$ configurations. The ground $3/2^{+}$ and second excited $5/2^{+}$ states exhibit a triaxially deformed shape, while the main component of the first excited $1/2^{+}$ state is a $^{16}$C($0^{+}$) core plus an $s$-wave neutron configuration. The tail of the valence neutron is significantly improved by including the $^{16}$C+$n$ basis functions explicitly. The explicit inclusion of both the quadrupole deformation and the relative motion between a core and a valence neutron is essential to describe the coexistence phenomena observed in neutron-rich nuclei in the AMD+GCM framework.

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arXiv2025

Polaronic neutron in dilute alpha matter: A $p$-wave Bose polaron

We theoretically investigate quasiparticle properties of a neutron immersed in an alpha condensate, which is one of the possible states of dilute symmetric nuclear matter. The resonant $p$-wave neutron-alpha scattering, which plays a crucial role in forming halo nuclei, is considered. This system is similar to a Bose polaron near the $p$-wave Feshbach resonance that can be realized in cold-atomic experiments. Calculating the self-energy within the field-theoretical approach, we give an analytical formula for the effective mass of a polaronic neutron as a function of alpha condensation density. Moreover, two adjacent neutrons in a medium, each of which behaves like a stable polaron having an enhanced effective mass, can form a bound dineutron, with the help of $^1S_0$ neutron-neutron attraction. This is in contrast to the case of the vacuum, where a dineutron is known to be unbound. Our result would be useful for understanding many-body physics in astrophysical environments as well as the formation of multi-nucleon clusters in neutron-halo nuclei.

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arXiv2024

Global analysis of the non-uniformity of nucleon density distributions

Background: Saturation of nuclear density is a fundamental property of atomic nuclei but in reality, the nuclear internal density distribution is not uniform, e.g., some nuclei are known to have the so-called bubble structure, in which the central density is depressed. Purpose: We aim to unveil the emergent mechanism of the non-uniformity of the nucleon density distributions for whole nuclear mass regions, not only for a typical bubble structure. Method: We systematically investigate the nucleon density distributions using the Skyrme Hartree-Fock plus Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer calculation represented in the three-dimensional Cartesian coordinate space. The ground states of 1,389 even-even nuclei are generated. To quantify the nonuniformity of these density distributions, a ``generalized bubble parameter" is introduced. Results: We find that the bubble structure appears around the magic numbers, which correspond to the regions where the s orbit appears near the Fermi surface. The nuclear deformation and pairing correlations strongly affect the occupation probability, but the robust bubble structure of a medium mass nucleus, $^{100}$Sn, is found. We confirm that the Coulomb force enhances the bubble degree in the superheavy region. The nuclear non-uniformity is further generalized by the ``multi-layered" bubble structure, which exhibits some density depression in the internal regions of the density distributions. Conclusion: The non-uniformity of the internal density distribution occurs due to the deficiency of the specific single-particle orbits: the nodal $s$, $p$, and $d$ orbits. This is certainly reflected in the density distribution near the nuclear surface, which can be deduced from proton-elastic scattering.

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arXiv2024

Investigation of the determination of nuclear deformation using high-energy heavy-ion scattering

Background: Nuclear deformation provides a crucial characteristic of nuclear structure. Conventionally, the quadrupole deformation length of a nucleus, $δ_{2}$, has often been determined based on a macroscopic model through a deformed nuclear potential with the deformation length $δ^{\rm (pot)}_{2}$, which is determined to reproduce the nuclear scattering data. This approach assumes $δ_{2}=δ^{\rm (pot)}_{2}$ although there is no theoretical foundation. Purpose: We clarify the relationship between $δ_{2}$ and $δ^{\rm (pot)}_{2}$ for high-energy heavy-ion scattering systematically to evaluate the validity of the conventional approach to determine the nuclear deformation. Method: The deformation lengths for the $^{12}$C inelastic scattering by $^{12}$C, $^{16}$O, $^{40}$Ca, and $^{208}$Pb targets at $E/A$ = 50--400 MeV are examined. First, we perform microscopic coupled-channel (CC) calculations to relate $δ_{2}$ of the deformed density into the inelastic scattering cross section. Second, we use the deformed potential model to determine $δ^{\rm (pot)}_{2}$ so as to reproduce the microscopic CC result. We then compare $δ^{\rm (pot)}_{2}$ with $δ_{2}$. Results: We find that $δ^{\rm (pot)}_{2}$ is about 20--40 \% smaller than presumed $δ_{2}$, showing strong energy and target dependence. Further analysis, which considers higher-order deformation effects beyond the derivative model, reveals that $δ^{\rm (pot)}_{2}$ is still about 15--35 \% smaller than $δ_{2}$. Conclusion: Our results suggest that one needs to be careful when the deformed potential model for the high-energy heavy-ion scattering is used to extract the nuclear deformation. The conventional approach may underestimate the deformation length $δ_2$ systematically.

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arXiv2023

Intersections of ultracold atomic polarons and nuclear clusters: How is a chart of nuclides modified in dilute neutron matter?

Neutron star observations, as well as experiments on neutron-rich nuclei, used to motivate one to look at degenerate nuclear matter from its extreme, namely, pure neutron matter. As an important next step, impurities and clusters in dilute neutron matter have attracted special attention. In this paper, we review in-medium properties of these objects on the basis of the physics of polarons, which have been recently realized in ultracold atomic experiments. We discuss how such atomic and nuclear systems are related to each other in terms of polarons. In addition to the interdisciplinary understanding of in-medium nuclear clusters, it is shown that the quasiparticle energy of a single proton in neutron matter is associated with the symmetry energy, implying a novel route toward the nuclear equation of state from the neutron-rich side.

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arXiv2023

Polaronic Proton and Diproton Clustering in Neutron-Rich Matter

We show that strong spin-triplet neutron-proton interaction causes polaronic protons to occur in neutron matter at subnuclear densities and nonzero temperature. As the neutron density increases, proton spectra exhibit a smooth crossover from a bare impurity to a repulsive polaron branch; this branch coexists with an attractive polaron branch. With the neutron density increased further, the attractive polarons become stable with respect to deuteron formation. For two adjacent protons, we find that the polaron effects and the neutron-mediated attraction are sufficient to induce a bound diproton, which leads possibly to diproton formation in the surface region of neutron-rich nuclei in laboratories as well as in neutron stars.

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arXiv2022

Resonance-to-bound transition of $^5$He in neutron matter and its analogy with heteronuclear Feshbach molecule

We theoretically investigate the fate of a neutron-alpha $p$-wave resonance in dilute neutron matter, which may be encountered in neutron stars and supernova explosions. While $^5$He is known as a resonant state that decays to a neutron and an alpha particle in vacuum, this unstable state turns into a stable bound state in the neutron Fermi sea because the decay process is forbidden by the Pauli-blocking effect of neutrons. Such a resonance-to-bound transition assisted by the Pauli-blocking effect can be realized in cold atomic experiments for a quantum mixture near the heteronuclear Feshbach resonance.

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arXiv2022

Incomplete absorption reactions at high energy

The total reaction cross section of high-energy nucleus-nucleus collision refects the nuclear density profiles of the colliding nuclei and has been a standard tool to investigate the size properties of short-lived unstable nuclei. This basis relies on the assumption that the nucleus-nucleus collision is strongly absorptive in the sense of an optical model. However, this property does not hold completely, while incomplete absorption occurs when an overlap density of two colliding nuclei is low enough. In this paper, we propose a way to quantify this incompleteness, that is, the "blackness" of the total reaction cross section. A significance of this quantification is drawn by taking an example of the total reaction cross sections of proton-rich C isotopes.

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arXiv2021

Two-neutron halo structure and anti-halo effect in 31F

We perform a detailed analysis for the structure of 31F, which is a candidate of the halo nucleus. We calculate the radius and reaction cross-section using a three-body model of 29F+n+n and discuss how the competition between the neutron-pairing and the single-particle energy induces structural changes of 31F. The present analysis further clarifies a new aspect of the anti-halo efect that suppresses the halo structure.

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arXiv2021

Single-particle decomposition of nuclear surface diffuseness

Nuclear surface diffuseness reflects spectroscopic information near the Fermi level. I propose a way to decompose the surface diffuseness into single-particle (s.p.) contributions in a quantitative way. Systematic behavior of the surface diffuseness of neutron-rich even-even O, Ca, Ni, Sn, and Pb isotopes is analyzed with a phenomenological mean-field approach. The role of the s.p. wave functions near the Fermi level is explored: The nodeless s.p. orbits form a sharp nuclear surface, while the nodal s.p. orbits contribute to diffusing the nuclear surface.

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arXiv2021

Deformation effect on nuclear density profile and radius enhancement in light- and medium-mass neutron-rich nuclei

Mass number dependence of the nuclear radii is closely related to the nuclear matter properties. It is known that the most of nuclei exhibit some deformation. We discuss how the nuclear density profile is modified by the nuclear deformation to elucidate the enhancement mechanism of the nuclear radii through a systematic investigation of neutron-rich Ne, Mg, Si, S, Ar, Ti, Cr, and Fe isotopes. Skyrme-Hartree-Fock calculations are performed in a three-dimensional Cartesian grid to describe the nuclear deformation in a non-empirical way. The role of the nuclear deformation on the nuclear density profiles is explored in comparison to calculations with spherical limit. We find correlations between the nuclear deformation and the internal nuclear density. The evolution of the nuclear radii appears to follow the core swelling mechanism recently proposed in spherical nuclei [Phys. Rev. C 101, 061301(R) (2020)], and the radius is further enhanced by the nuclear deformation. This study demands further theoretical and experimental investigations for the internal density.

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arXiv2020

Quasiparticle properties of a single alpha particle in cold neutron matter

Light clusters such as alpha particles and deuterons are predicted to occur in hot nuclear matter as encountered in intermediate-energy heavy-ion collisions and protoneutron stars. To examine the in-medium properties of such light clusters, we consider a much simplified system in which like an impurity, a single alpha particle is embedded in a zero-temperature, dilute gas of non-interacting neutrons. By adopting a non-selfconsistent ladder approximation for the effective interaction between the impurity and the gas, which is often used for analyses of Fermi polarons in a gas of ultracold atoms, we calculate the quasiparticle properties of the impurity, i.e., the energy shift, effective mass, quasiparticle residue, and damping rate.

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arXiv2017

Kaonic deuterium and low-energy antikaon-nucleon interaction

A new evaluation of the $1s$ level shift and width of kaonic deuterium is presented based on an accurate $\bar{K}NN$ three-body calculation, using as input a realistic antikaon-nucleon interaction constrained by the SIDDHARTA kaonic hydrogen data. The three-body Schrödinger equation is solved with a superposition of a large number of correlated Gaussian basis functions extending over distance scales up to several hundred fm. The resulting energy shift and width of the kaonic deuterium $1s$ level are $E\simeq 0.67$ keV and $Γ\simeq 1.02$ keV, with estimated uncertainties at the 10% level.

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arXiv2017

Constraining the $\bar{K}N$ interaction from the $1S$ level shift of kaonic deuterium

Motivated by the precise measurement of the $1S$ level shift of kaonic hydrogen, we perform accurate three-body calculations for the spectrum of kaonic deuterium using a realistic antikaon-nucleon ($KN$) interaction. In order to describe both short- and long-range behavior of the kaonic atomic states, we solve the three-body Schrödinger equation with a superposition of a large number of correlated Gaussian basis functions covering distances up to several hundreds of fm. Transition energies between $1S$, $2P$ and $2S$ states are determined with high precision. The complex energy shift of the $1S$ level of kaonic deuterium is found to be $670-i508$ eV. The sensitivity of this level shift with respect to the isospin $I=1$ component of the $KN$ interaction is examined. It is pointed out that an experimental determination of the kaonic deuterium level shift within an uncertainty of 25\% will provide a constraint for the $I=1$ component of the $KN$ interaction significantly stronger than that from kaonic hydrogen.

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arXiv2017

Few-body approach to structure of $\bar{K}$-nuclear quasi-bound states

Structure of light antikaon-nuclear quasi-bound states, which consist of an antikaon $(\bar{K}=K^-,~\bar{K}^0)$ and a few nucleons $(N=p,~n)$ such as $\bar{K}NN$, $\bar{K}NNN$, $\bar{K}NNNN$ and $\bar{K}NNNNNN$ systems, is studied with full three- to seven-body calculations. Employing a realistic $\bar{K}N$ potential based on the chiral SU(3) effective field theory with the SIDDHARTA constraint, we show that the central nucleon densities of these systems increases when the antikaon is injected, by about factor of two at maximum. The $\bar{K}NNNN$ system shows the largest central density, about 0.74 fm$^{-3}$ even with the phenomenological $\bar{K}N$ potential, which are not as high as those suggested in previous studies with approximate treatments of the few-body systems. We find the spin of the ground state of the $\bar{K}NNNNNN$ system depends on the strength of the $\bar{K}N$ attraction. Thus, the quantum number of the ground state can be another constraint on the $\bar{K}N$ interaction.

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arXiv2016

${^3{\rm He}}(α,γ){^7{\rm Be}}$ and ${^3{\rm H}}(α,γ){^7{\rm Li}}$ astrophysical $S$ factors from the no-core shell model with continuum

The ${^3{\rm He}}(α,γ){^7{\rm Be}}$ and ${^3{\rm H}}(α,γ){^7{\rm Li}}$ astrophysical $S$ factors are calculated within the no-core shell model with continuum using a renormalized chiral nucleon-nucleon interaction. The ${^3{\rm He}}(α,γ){^7{\rm Be}}$ astrophysical $S$ factors agree reasonably well with the experimental data while the ${^3{\rm H}}(α,γ){^7{\rm Li}}$ ones are overestimated. The seven-nucleon bound and resonance states and the $α+{^3{\rm He}}/{^3{\rm H}}$ elastic scattering are also studied and compared with experiment. The low-lying resonance properties are rather well reproduced by our approach. At low energies, the $s$-wave phase shift, which is non-resonant, is overestimated.

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arXiv2015

Towards an ab initio description of the light-nuclei radiative captures

The ${^3{\rm He}}(α,γ){^7{\rm Be}}$ and ${^3{\rm H}}(α,γ){^7{\rm Li}}$ astrophysical $S$ factors are evaluated at low collision energies (less than 2.5 MeV in the centre-of-mass frame) within the no-core shell model with continuum approach using a renormalized chiral nucleon-nucleon interaction.

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