Correlated density-dependent chiral forces for infinite matter calculations within the Greens function approach

The properties of symmetric nuclear and pure neutron matter are investigated within an extended self-consistent Greens function method that includes the effects of three-body forces. We use the ladder approximation for the study of infinite nuclear matter and incorporate the three-body interaction by means of a density-dependent two-body force. This force is obtained via a correlated average over the third particle, with an in-medium propagator consistent with the many-body calculation we perform. We analyze different prescriptions in the construction of the average and conclude that correlations provide small modifications at the level of the density-dependent force. Microscopic as well as bulk properties are studied, focusing on the changes introduced by the density dependent two-body force. The total energy of the system is obtained by means of a modified Galitskii-Migdal-Koltun sum rule. Our results validate previously used uncorrelated averages and extend the availability of chirally motivated forces to a larger density regime.

Symmetric nuclear matter with chiral three-nucleon forces in the self-consistent Greens functions approach

We present calculations for symmetric nuclear matter using chiral nuclear interactions within the Self-Consistent Greens Functions approach in the ladder approximation. Three-body forces are included via effective one-body and two-body interactions, computed from an uncorrelated average over a third particle. We discuss the effect of the three-body forces on the total energy, computed with an extended Galitskii-Migdal-Koltun sum-rule, as well as on single-particle properties. Saturation properties are substantially improved when three-body forces are included, but there is still some underlying dependence on the SRG evolution scale.

High momentum components in the nuclear symmetry energy

The short-range and tensor correlations associated to realistic nucleon-nucleon interactions induce a population of high-momentum components in the many-body nuclear wave function. We study the impact of such high-momentum components on bulk observables associated to isospin asymmetric matter. The kinetic part of the symmetry energy is strongly reduced by correlations when compared to the non-interacting case. The origin of this behavior is elucidated using realistic interactions with different short-range and tensor structures.

Latent heat of nuclear matter

We study the latent heat of the liquid-gas phase transition in symmetric nuclear matter using self-consistent mean-field calculations with a few Skyrme forces. The temperature dependence of the latent heat is rather independent of the mean-field parametrization and can be characterized by a few parameters. At low temperatures, the latent heat tends to the saturation energy. Near the critical point, the latent heat goes to zero with a well-determined mean-field critical exponent. A maximum value of the latent heat in the range l ~ 25-30 MeV is found at intermediate temperatures, which might have experimental relevance. All these features can be explained from very basic principles.

Time-dependent Greens functions approach to nuclear reactions

Nonequilibrium Greens functions represent underutilized means of studying the time evolution of quantum many-body systems. In view of a rising computer power, an effort is underway to apply the Greens functions formalism to the dynamics of central nuclear reactions. As the first step, mean-field evolution for the density matrix for colliding slabs is studied in one dimension. The strategy to extend the dynamics to correlations is described.