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Alhassid, Y.

Publications and source records attributed to Alhassid, Y..

7 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2024

Magnetic dipole γ-ray strength functions in the crossover from spherical to deformed neodymium isotopes

We calculate the magnetic dipole $\gamma$-ray strength functions in a chain of even-mass neodymium isotopes $^{144-152}$Nd in the framework of the configuration-interaction (CI) shell model. We infer the strength function by applying the maximum entropy method (MEM) to the exact imaginary-time response function calculated with the shell-model Monte Carlo (SMMC) method. The success of the MEM depends on the choice of a good strength function as a prior distribution. We investigate two choices for the prior strength function: the static path approximation (SPA) and the quasiparticle random-phase approximation (QRPA). We find that the QRPA is a better approximation at low temperatures (i.e., near the ground state), while the SPA is a better choice at finite temperatures. We identify a low-energy enhancement (LEE) in the MEM deexcitation $M1$ strength functions of the even-mass neodymium isotopes and compare with recent experimental results for the total deexcitation $\gamma$-ray strength functions. The LEE is already seen in the SPA strength function but not in the QRPA strength function, indicating the importance of large-amplitude static fluctuations around the mean field in reproducing the LEE. Our method is currently the only one which can reproduce LEE in heavy open-shell nuclei where conventional CI shell model calculations are prohibited. With the onset of deformation as number of neutrons increases along the chain of neodymium isotopes, we observe that some of the LEE strength transfers to a low-energy excitation, which we interpret as a finite-temperature ``scissors'' mode. Here, we also observe a finite-temperature spin-flip mode.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Reducing the complexity of finite-temperature auxiliary-field quantum Monte Carlo

The auxiliary-field quantum Monte Carlo (AFMC) method is a powerful and widely used technique for ground-state and finite-temperature simulations of quantum many-body systems. Here we introduce several algorithmic improvements for finite-temperature AFMC calculations of dilute fermionic systems that reduce the computational complexity of most parts of the algorithm. This is principally achieved by reducing the number of single-particle states that contribute at each configuration of the auxiliary fields to a number that is of the order of the number of fermions. Our methods are applicable for both the canonical and grand-canonical ensembles. We demonstrate the reduced computational complexity of the methods for the homogeneous unitary Fermi gas.

67.85.Lm↗
DOE OSTI2020

Contact in the Unitary Fermi Gas across the Superfluid Phase Transition

A quantity known as the contact is a fundamental thermodynamic property of quantum many-body systems with short-range interactions. Determination of the temperature dependence of the contact for the unitary Fermi gas of infinite scattering length has been a major challenge, with different calculations yielding qualitatively different results. Here we use finite-temperature auxiliary-field quantum Monte Carlo (AFMC) methods on the lattice within the canonical ensemble to calculate the temperature dependence of the contact for the homogeneous spin-balanced unitary Fermi gas. We extrapolate to the continuum limit for 40, 66, and 114 particles, eliminating systematic errors due to finite-range effects. We observe a dramatic decrease in the contact as the superfluid critical temperature is approached from below, followed by a gradual weak decrease as the temperature increases in the normal phase. Our theoretical results are in excellent agreement with the most recent precision ultracold atomic gas experiments. Here, we also present results for the energy as a function of temperature in the continuum limit.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Derivation of K-matrix reaction theory in a discrete basis formalism

The usual derivations of the S and K matrices for two-particle reactions proceed through the Lippmann–Schwinger equation with formal definitions of the incoming and outgoing scattering states. Here we present a simpler alternative derivation that is carried out completely in the Hamiltonian representation, using a discrete basis of configurations for the scattering channels as well as the quasi-bound configurations of the combined fragments. We use matrix algebra to derive an explicit expression for the K matrix in terms of the Hamiltonian of the internal states of the compound system and the coupling between the channels and the internal states. The formula for the K matrix includes explicitly a real dispersive shift matrix to the internal Hamiltonian that is easily computed in the formalism. That expression is applied to derive the usual form of the S matrix as a sum over poles in the complex energy plane. Some extensions and limitations of the discrete-basis Hamiltonian formalism are discussed in the concluding remarks and in the Appendix.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Limits on assigning a shape to a nucleus

The interpretation of nuclear observables in the laboratory frame in terms of the intrinsic deformation parameters β and γ is a classical theme in nuclear structure. Here we use the quadrupole invariants, calculated within the framework of the configuration-interaction shell model, to clarify the meaning and limitations of nuclear shapes. In this work we introduce a novel method that enables us to calculate accurately higher-order invariants and, therefore, the fluctuations in both β and γ. We find that the shape parameter β often has a non-negligible degree of softness and that the angle γ is usually characterized by large fluctuations, rendering its effective value not meaningful. Contrary to common belief, we conclude that doubly magic nuclei are not spherical, because the notion of a well-defined shape does not apply to them.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗