Engineering topics

Romero-Redondo, Carolina

Publications and source records attributed to Romero-Redondo, Carolina.

8 records

DOE OSTI2018

Three-cluster dynamics within the ab initio no-core shell model with continuum: How many-body correlations and α clustering shape He 6 [Three-Cluster Dynamics Within The Ab Initio No-Core Shell Model With Continuum: How Many-Body Correlations And Alpha-Clustering Shape 6He]

We realize the treatment of bound and continuum nuclear systems in the proximity of a three-body breakup threshold within the ab initio framework of the no-core shell model with continuum. Many-body eigenstates obtained from the diagonalization of the Hamiltonian within the harmonic-oscillator expansion of the no-core shell model are coupled with continuous microscopic three-cluster states to correctly describe the nuclear wave function both in the interior and asymptotic regions. We discuss the formalism in detail and give algebraic expressions for the case of core + n + n systems. Using similarity-renormalization-group evolved nucleon-nucleon interactions, we analyze the role of 4 He + n + n clustering and many-body correlations in the ground and low-lying continuum states of the Borromean 6 He nucleus, and study the dependence of the energy spectrum on the resolution scale of the interaction. We show that 6 He small binding energy and extended radii compatible with experiment can be obtained simultaneously, without resorting to extrapolations. Here, we also find that a significant portion of the ground-state energy and the narrow width of the first 2 + resonance stem from many-body correlations that can be interpreted as core-excitation effects.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2016

How Many-Body Correlations and α Clustering Shape He 6

The Borromean 6 He nucleus is an exotic system characterized by two halo neutrons orbiting around a compact 4 He (or α) core, in which the binary subsystems are unbound. The simultaneous reproduction of its small binding energy and extended matter and point-proton radii has been a challenge for ab initio theoretical calculations based on traditional bound-state methods. Using soft nucleon-nucleon interactions based on chiral effective field theory potentials, we show that supplementing the model space with 4 He + n + n cluster degrees of freedom largely solves this issue. Lastly, we analyze the role played by α clustering and many-body correlations, and study the dependence of the energy spectrum on the resolution scale of the interaction.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2016

Erratum: Three-cluster dynamics within an ab initio framework [Phys. Rev. C 88 , 034320 (2013)]

In this study, we have discovered a typographical error in the portion of code used in our original article to compute the probability distribution of Figs. 7–9 of Sec. III B 2. The correct results are shown in the figures below. The correct probability distribution now shows the characteristic prominence of the “dineutron” over the “cigar” configuration. In addition, the most-probable distance between the two neutrons in the latter configuration is close to 4 fm (rather than the erroneously reported 5 fm). The other results and conclusion of the original paper remain unaffected.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2016

Unified ab initio approaches to nuclear structure and reactions

The description of nuclei starting from the constituent nucleons and the realistic interactions among them has been a long-standing goal in nuclear physics. In addition to the complex nature of the nuclear forces, with two-, three- and possibly higher many-nucleon components, one faces the quantum-mechanical many-nucleon problem governed by an interplay between bound and continuum states. In recent years, significant progress has been made in ab initio nuclear structure and reaction calculations based on input from QCD-employing Hamiltonians constructed within chiral effective field theory. After a brief overview of the field, we focus on ab initio many-body approaches—built upon the no-core shell model—that are capable of simultaneously describing both bound and scattering nuclear states, and present results for resonances in light nuclei, reactions important for astrophysics and fusion research. In particular, we review recent calculations of resonances in the 6 He halo nucleus, of five- and six-nucleon scattering, and an investigation of the role of chiral three-nucleon interactions in the structure of 9 Be. Further, we discuss applications to the 7 Be ${({\rm{p}},\gamma )}^{8}{\rm{B}}$ radiative capture. Lastly, we highlight our efforts to describe transfer reactions including the 3H${({\rm{d}},{\rm{n}})}^{4}$He fusion.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2015

Toward a Fundamental Understanding of Nuclear Reactions and Exotic Nuclei

Nuclear systems near the drip lines offer an exciting opportunity to advance our understanding of the interactions among nucleons, which has so far been mostly based on the study of stable nuclei. However, this is not a goal devoid of challenges. From a theoretical standpoint, it requires the ca- pability to address within an ab initio framework not only bound, but also resonant and scattering states, all of which can be strongly coupled. In recent years, significant progress has been made in ab initio nuclear structure and reaction calculations based on input from Quantum Chromodynamics employing Hamiltonians constructed within chiral effective field theory. In this contribution, we present a brief overview of one of such methods, the ab initio no-core shell model with continuum, and its applications to nucleon and deuterium scattering on light nuclei. The first investigation of the low-lying continuum spectrum of 6He within an ab initio framework that encompasses the 4He+n+n three-cluster dynamics characterizing its lowest particle-decay channel will also be briefly presented.

Quaglioni, Sofia↗

DOE OSTI2014

4 He+n+n continuum within an ab initio framework

In this study, the low-lying continuum spectrum of the 6 He nucleus is investigated for the first time within an ab initio framework that encompasses the 4 He+n+n three-cluster dynamics characterizing its lowest decay channel. This is achieved through an extension of the no-core shell model combined with the resonating-group method, in which energy-independent nonlocal interactions among three nuclear fragments can be calculated microscopically, starting from realistic nucleon-nucleon interactions and consistent ab initio many-body wave functions of the clusters. The three-cluster Schrödinger equation is solved with three-body scattering boundary conditions by means of the hyperspherical-harmonics method on a Lagrange mesh. Using a soft similarity-renormalization-group evolved chiral nucleon-nucleon potential, we find the known J π = 2 + resonance as well as a result consistent with a new low-lying second 2 + resonance recently observed at GANIL at ~2.6 MeV above the He6 ground state. We also find resonances in the 2 – , 1 + , and 0 – channels, while no low-lying resonances are present in the 0 + and 1 – channels.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2013

Three-cluster dynamics within an ab initio framework

In this study, we introduce a fully antisymmetrized treatment of three-cluster dynamics within the ab initio framework of the no-core shell model/resonating-group method. Energy-independent nonlocal interactions among the three nuclear fragments are obtained from realistic nucleon-nucleon interactions and consistent ab initio many-body wave functions of the clusters. The three-cluster Schrödinger equation is solved with bound-state boundary conditions by means of the hyperspherical-harmonic method on a Lagrange mesh. We discuss the formalism in detail and give algebraic expressions for systems of two single nucleons plus a nucleus. Using a soft similarity-renormalization-group evolved chiral nucleon-nucleon potential, we apply the method to a 4 He+n+n description of 6 He and compare the results to experiment and to a six-body diagonalization of the Hamiltonian performed within the harmonic-oscillator expansions of the no-core shell model. Differences between the two calculations provide a measure of core ( 4 He) polarization effects.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2012

No-Core Shell Model Analysis of Light Nuclei

The fundamental description of both structural properties and reactions of light nuclei in terms of constituent protons and neutrons interacting through nucleon-nucleon and three-nucleon forces is a long-sought goal of nuclear theory. I will briefly present a promising technique, built upon the ab initio no-core shell model, which emerged recently as a candidate to reach such a goal: the no-core shell model/resonating-group method. This approach, capable of describing simultaneously both bound and scattering states in light nuclei, complements a microscopic cluster technique with the use of two-nucleon realistic interactions, and a microscopic and consistent description of the nucleon clusters. I will discuss applications to light nuclei binary scattering processes and fusion reactions that power stars and Earth based fusion facilities, such as the deuterium–3He fusion, and outline the progress toward the inclusion of the three-nucleon force into the formalism and the treatment of three-body clusters.

Physics↗