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At least 19 records

Even-even Nd isotopes in an S D -pair shell model

Nucleon pair shell model truncated to SD collective pair subspace (SDPSM) was applied to study the properties of the low-lying states of the even-even 144–156 Nd isotopes. It is found that, within the M scheme, the systems with the number N ν = 7 of neutron pairs (or the number N π = 7 of proton pairs) can be studied in the SDPSM for the first time. The results show that the properties of the low-lying states of the even-even Nd isotopes can be reproduced approximately, and the even-even 144–15 6Nd isotopes may be a good candidate for the first-order shape phase transition.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Unbound spectra of neutron-rich oxygen isotopes predicted by the Gamow shell model

The Gamow shell model has shown to efficiently describe weakly bound and unbound nuclear systems, as internucleon correlations and continuum coupling are both taken into account in this model. In the present work, we study neutron-dripline oxygen isotopes. It is hereby demonstrated that the presence of continuum coupling is important for the description of oxygen isotopes at dripline, and especially to assess the eventual bound or unbound character of 28 O. Our results suggest that the ground state of 28 O is weakly unbound and is similar to the narrow resonant 26 O ground state. Predictions of weakly bound and resonance excited states in 24–26 O are also provided. The asymptotes of the studied many-body states are analyzed via one-body densities, whereby the different radial properties of well bound, loosely bound, resonance states are clearly depicted.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Toward shell model interactions with credible uncertainties

Background: The nuclear shell model is a powerful framework for predicting nuclear structure observables, but relies on interaction matrix elements fit to experimental data as its inputs. Extending the shell model's applicability, particularly toward dripline nuclei, requires efficient fitting methods and credible uncertainty quantification. Traditional approaches face computational challenges and may underestimate uncertainties. Purpose: We develop and test a framework combining eigenvector continuation and Markov chain Monte Carlo to efficiently fit shell model interaction matrix elements and quantify their uncertainties. Methods: Eigenvector continuation is used to emulate shell model calculations, reducing computational costs. The emulator enables Markov chain Monte Carlo sampling to optimize interaction matrix elements and rigorously assess parametric uncertainties. Here, the framework is benchmarked using the USDB interaction in the 𝑠⁢𝑑 shell. Results: The emulator reproduces the USDB interaction with negligible error, validating its use in shell model fitting applications. However, we find that to obtain credible predictive intervals, the model defect of the shell model itself, rather than experimental or emulator error, must be taken into account in order to obtain credible uncertainties. Conclusions: The proposed framework provides an efficient and rigorous approach for fitting shell model interactions and quantifying uncertainties. Further, the normality assumption used in the past appears sufficient to describe the distribution of interaction matrix elements. However, it is crucial to account for model correlations to avoid underestimating uncertainties.

Nuclear forces↗

Uncertainty quantification of transition operators in the empirical shell model

While empirical shell model calculations have successfully described low-lying nuclear data for decades, only recently has significant effort been made to quantify the uncertainty in such calculations. Here, in this study, we quantify the statistical error in effective parameters for transition operators in empirical calculations in the sd (1s 1/2 -0d 3/2 -0d 5/2 ) valence space, specifically the quenching of Gamow-Teller transitions, effective charges for electric quadrupole (E2) transitions, and the effective orbital and spin couplings for magnetic dipole (M1) transitions and moments. We find the quenching factor for Gamow-Teller transitions relative to free-space values is tightly constrained. For effective M1 couplings, we found isoscalar components more constrained than isovector. This detailed quantification of uncertainties, while highly empirical, nonetheless is an important step towards interpretation of experiments.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

CoSMo - Shell Model Code

CoSMo is a comprehensive shell model code suite designed for nuclear shell model and configuration interaction calculations. Its highly structured and templated nature allows for flexibility and ease in applications, including those to open quantum systems with non-Hermitian Hamiltonians, clustering, and time-dependent dynamics.

Volya, Alexander↗

The Gamow shell model with realistic interactions: a theoretical framework for ab initio nuclear structure at drip-lines

Abstract Ab initio approaches are among the most advanced models to solve the nuclear many-body problem. In particular, the no-core–shell model and many-body perturbation theory have been recently extended to the Gamow shell model framework, where the harmonic oscillator basis is replaced by a basis bearing bound, resonance and scattering states, i.e. the Berggren basis. As continuum coupling is included at basis level and as configuration mixing takes care of inter-nucleon correlations, halo and resonance nuclei can be properly described with the Gamow shell model. The development of the no-core Gamow shell model and the introduction of the Q ¯ ˆ -box method in the Gamow shell model, as well as their first ab initio applications, will be reviewed in this paper. Peculiarities compared to models using harmonic oscillator bases will be shortly described. The current power and limitations of ab initio Gamow shell model will also be discussed, as well as its potential for future applications.

Physics↗

Present Status of Nuclear Shell-Model Calculations of 0 νββ Decay Matrix Elements

Neutrinoless double beta (0νββ) decay searches are currently among the major foci of experimental physics. The observation of such a decay will have important implications in our understanding of the intrinsic nature of neutrinos and shed light on the limitations of the Standard Model. The rate of this process depends on both the unknown neutrino effective mass and the nuclear matrix element (M 0ν ) associated with the given 0νββ transition. The latter can only be provided by theoretical calculations, hence the need of accurate theoretical predictions of M 0ν for the success of the experimental programs. This need drives the theoretical nuclear physics community to provide the most reliable calculations of M 0ν . Among the various computational models adopted to solve the many-body nuclear problem, the shell model is widely considered as the basic framework of the microscopic description of the nucleus. Here, we review the most recent and advanced shell-model calculations of M 0ν considering the light-neutrino-exchange channel for nuclei of experimental interest. We report the sensitivity of the theoretical calculations with respect to variations in the model spaces and the shell-model nuclear Hamiltonians.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Effective shell-model interaction for nuclei “southeast” of 100 Sn

We construct an effective shell-model interaction for the valence space spanned by single-particle neutron and single-hole proton states in 100 Sn. Starting from chiral nucleon-nucleon and three-nucleon forces and single-reference coupled-cluster theory for 100 Sn we apply a second similarity transformation that decouples the valence space. The particle-particle components of the resulting effective interaction can be used in shell model calculations for neutron deficient tin isotopes. The hole-hole interaction can be used to calculate the N=50 isotones south of 100 Sn, and the full particle-hole interaction describes nuclei in the region southeast of 100 Sn. We compute low-lying excited states in selected nuclei southeast of 100 Sn, and find reasonable agreement with data. The presented techniques can also be applied to construct effective shell-model interactions for other regions of the nuclear chart.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

The convergence of quadrupole rotational invariants from the nuclear shell model

Nuclei exhibit both single-particle and collective degrees of freedom, with the latter often subdivided into vibrational and rotational motions. Experimentally identifying the relative roles of these collective modes is extremely challenging, particularly in the face of possible shape coexistence. Model-independent, invariant quantities describing the deformation of a nucleus in the intrinsic frame have long been known but their determination potentially requires a large quantity of experimental data to achieve convergence. Through comparison with the nuclear shell model, the question of convergence is addressed. Shell-model calculations performed in the sd- and pf-shell model spaces are used to determine electric-quadrupole matrix elements for a multitude of low-lying states using the first 40 states of the relevant spins. Relative contributions to the rotationally invariant quantities from multiple states can therefore be determined. It is found that, on average, the inclusion of four intermediate states results in the leading-order invariant, $\langle\hat{Q^2}\rangle$, converging to within 10% of its true value and the triaxiality term, cos (3δ), converging to its true value, though some variance remains. Higher-order quantities relating to the softness of the nuclear shape are found to converge more slowly. The convergence of quadrupole rotationally invariant sum rules was quantified in the sd- and pf-shell model spaces and indicates the challenge inherent in a full determination of nuclear shape. The present study is limited to relatively small valence spaces. Finally, larger spaces, such as the rare-earth region, potentially offer faster convergence.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Nucleon-Pair Shell Model within a Symmetry Broken Basis

The nucleon-pair shell model (NPSM) within the framework of a broken symmetry basis is studied. The results demonstrate the validity of such a scheme, which in turn leads to a significant reduction in the dimensionality of the multi-pair configuration space. Specifically, in the case of an axially-deformed basis, the results yield a satisfactory description of the low-lying spectrum, even without the need for applying the projection procedure. In the case of a triaxially-deformed basis, the result of variation after angular momentum projection suggest a potential for using the NPSM to find exact solutions in a semi-magic system.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Shell-model study of calcium isotopes toward their drip line

Here, we report in this paper a study in terms of the nuclear shell model about the location of the calcium isotopes drip line. The starting point is considering the realistic two-body potential derived by Entem and Machleidt within chiral perturbation theory at next-to-next-to-next-to-leading order (N 3 LO), as well as a chiral three-body force at next-to-next-to-leading order (N 2 LO) whose structure and low-energy constants are consistent with the two-body potential. Then we construct the effective single-particle energies and residual interaction needed to diagonalize the shell-model Hamiltonian. The calculated two-neutron separation energies agree nicely with experiment until 56 Ca, which is the heaviest isotope whose mass has been measured, and do not show any sign of two-neutron emission until 70 Ca . We discuss the role of the choice of the model space in determining the neutron drip line, and also the dependence of the results on the parameters of the shell-model Hamiltonian.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Tensor force role in β decays analyzed within the Gogny-interaction shell model

The half-life of the famous C 14 β decay is anomalously long, with different mechanisms: the tensor force, cross-shell mixing, and three-body forces, proposed to explain the cancellations that lead to a small transition matrix element. In this study, we revisit and analyze the role of the tensor force for the β decay of C 14 as well as of neighboring isotopes. We add a tensor force to the Gogny interaction, and derive an effective Hamiltonian for shell-model calculations. The calculations were carried out in a p – s d model space to investigate cross-shell effects. Furthermore, we decompose the wave functions according to the total orbital angular momentum L in order to analyze the effects of the tensor force and cross-shell mixing. The inclusion of the tensor force significantly improves the shell-model calculations of the β -decay properties of carbon isotopes. In particular, the anomalously slow β decay of C 14 can be explained by the isospin T = 0 part of the tensor force, which changes the components of N 14 with the orbital angular momentum L = 0 , 1 , and results in a dramatic suppression of the Gamow-Teller transition strength. At the same time, the description of other nearby β decays are improved. Decomposition of wave function into L components illuminates how the tensor force modifies nuclear wave functions, in particular suppression of β -decay matrix elements. Cross-shell mixing also has a visible impact on the β -decay strength. Inclusion of the tensor force does not seem to significantly change, however, binding energies of the nuclei within the phenomenological interaction.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Response functions and giant monopole resonances for light to medium-mass nuclei from the ab initio symmetry-adapted no-core–shell model

Using the ab initio symmetry-adapted no-core–shell model, we compute sum rules and response functions for light to medium-mass nuclei, starting from interactions that are derived in the chiral effective field theory. Specifically, we investigate electromagnetic transitions of monopole, dipole and quadrupole nature for 4 He, and explore dominant features of giant monopole resonances in symmetric nuclei such as the closed-shell 4 He and 16 O light nuclei, the intermediate-mass open-shell 20 Ne and the medium-mass closed-shell 40 Ca. Furthermore, for the NNLO opt chiral potential, we determine parameter-free monopole sum rules, which can provide information on the incompressibility of symmetric nuclear matter. Here, we report 213(10) MeV as an estimate for the compression modulus for infinite nuclear matter, which overlaps with the lower range of values often used in current astrophysical applications.

ab initio nuclear structure↗

Advancing quantum simulations of the nuclear shell model with Gray-code–based resource-efficient protocols

Background: Some of the computational limitations in solving the nuclear many-body problem could be overcome by utilizing quantum computers. The nuclear shell-model calculations providing deeper insights into the properties of atomic nuclei are one such case with high demand for resources, as the size of the Hilbert space grows exponentially with the number of particles involved. Quantum algorithms are being developed to overcome these challenges and advance such calculations. Purpose: To develop quantum circuits for the nuclear shell-model, leveraging the capabilities of noisy intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) devices. Here, we aim to minimize resource requirements (specifically in terms of qubits and gates) and strive to reduce the impact of noise by employing relevant mitigation techniques. Methods: We achieve noise resilience by designing an optimized Ansatz for the variational quantum eigensolver (VQE) based on Givens rotations and incorporating qubit-ADAPT-VQE in combination with variational quantum deflation (VQD) to compute ground and excited states, incorporating the zero-noise extrapolation mitigation technique. Furthermore, the qubit requirements are significantly reduced by mapping the basis states to qubits using Gray-code encoding and generalizing transformations of fermionic operators to efficiently represent many-body states. Results: By employing the resource-efficient protocols, we achieve the ground and excited state energy levels of 38 Ar and 6 Li with better accuracy. These energy levels are presented for noiseless simulations, noisy conditions, and after applying noise mitigation techniques. Results are compared for Jordan-Wigner and Gray-code encoding using VQE, qubit-ADAPT-VQE, and VQD. Conclusions: Our work highlights the potential of resource-efficient protocols to leverage the full potential of NISQ devices in scaling the nuclear shell model calculations, offering a pathway toward more complex quantum simulations in nuclear physics. This approach establishes a framework for studying other nuclear systems with improved quantum resource efficiency, marking a significant advancement in applying quantum computing to realistic nuclear physics applications.

Physics - Nuclear physics and radiation physics↗

Shell-model calculations for two-neutron transfer near the $N=20$ island of inversion

We describe connections between shell-model calculation results and predictions for two-nucleon transfer reactions. Measurements of the 30 Mg(t,p) 32 Mg reaction were used to identify a low-lying shape-coexisting 0 + state in 32 Mg. Interpretations of those early, limited data were based on simple empirical models. The cross sections for two-nucleon transfer are, however, extremely sensitive to the details of the nuclear-structure. Motivated by the possibility of new high-resolution two-nucleon transfer measurements around the N = 20 Island of Inversion, we have performed shell-model calculations wave functions for states in the nuclei 30,32 Mg using the SDPF-M and SDPF-MU interactions, and from those calculations obtain the two-nucleon transfer amplitudes that we use to predict cross sections for the 28,30 Mg(t,p) 30,32 Mg reactions. The combined results show how the nuclear structure properties influence experimental observables for the (t,p) reaction. We compare our results with the existing data.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Nucleon pair shell model in $\textit{M}$ scheme

The nucleon pair shell model (NPSM) is cast into the so-called $\textit{M}$ scheme for the cases with isospin symmetry and without isospin symmetry. The odd system and even system are treated on the same footing. The uncoupled commutators for nucleon pairs, which are suitable for the $\textit{M}$ scheme, are given. Explicit formula of matrix elements in $\textit{M}$ scheme for overlap, one-body operators, and two-body operators are obtained. In this work, it is found that the CPU time used in calculating the matrix elements in $\textit{M}$ scheme is much shorter than that in the $\textit{J}$ scheme of NPSM.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Theoretical shell-model signatures in heavy-ion, coherent pion production

A comprehensive summary of a many-body, microscopic, particle-hole formalism is presented that describes coherent, subthreshold, pion production in peripheral, heavy-ion collisions. The formalism uses a new separable model transition interaction that produces Delta-hole states in either the projectile or target nucleus. Shell-model states described by harmonic oscillator functions are used in the calculation of Delta formation and decay and Lorentz-contraction effects of the nucleus not at rest are included. An analytical expression to lowest multipole order for the differential cross section is examined. The sensitivity of the theoretical results to the shell-model states is determined with preliminary shape results compared with data. The effects of higher multipoles are examined with attention paid to the second-order multipole value.

Maung, Khin M.↗

A dust-shell model of the infrared object HD 45677

A dust-shell model of the infrared star HD-45677 was constructed by means of a generalization of the mathematical techniques of Huang. The model shows that an isotropically scattering, uniform-density spherical circumstellar dust shell is able to account for the observed emergent energy distribution. The extinction properties of the grains required depend on the energy distribution incident on the inner boundary of the shell such that gray grains are needed if the stellar temperature is about 13,000 K and a reciprocal wavelength extinction law is indicated for a star of 20,000 K. This model for HD 45677 is compared with that of Dyck and Milkey, who propose free-free emission from a circumstellar gas shell to account for the observed infrared excess.

Apruzese, J. P.↗