Nuclear Theory

The Nilsson orbitals used in the substitutions occurring in the proxy-SU(3) scheme, which are the orbitals bearing the maximum value of total angular momentum in each shell, have an extremely simple structure in the shell model basis |N l j Omega>, with each Nilsson orbital corresponding to a single shell model eigenvector. This simple structure is valid at all deformations for these orbitals, while in other orbitals it is valid only at small deformations. Nilsson 0[110] pairs are found to correspond to |1 1 1 0> pairs in the spherical shell model basis, paving the way for using the proxy-SU(3) approximation within the shell model.

In the present work, we have computed the shape factors and electron spectra for the second-forbidden nonunique β ??-decay transitions of 46 Sc, and 59,60 Fe in the framework of the nuclear shell model. We have performed the shell-model calculations of all the involved wave functions in the β -decay rate by using the KB3G and GXPF1A interactions in the full fp model space. When compared with the available data, these effective interactions predict the low-energy spectra and electromagnetic properties of the involved nuclei quite successfully. This success paves the way for a reliable computation of the β -decay properties, and comparison with data. We use the spectrum-shape method (SSM), including the next-to-leading-order corrections in the shape factor, in order to compute the electron spectral shapes as functions of the weak axial coupling constant g A . We have also constrained the value of the relativistic vector matrix element, V M (0) KK??1 , using the conserved vector-current hypothesis (CVC) and found that this procedure influences the electron spectral shapes. Based on the "CVC-inspired" SSM calculations we find that the spectral shapes of 59,60 Fe depend strongly on the value of g A , thus making these nuclei as perfect test cases of the revised SSM for future β -decay experiments that are able to resolve electron spectral shapes.

An attempt has been made, in the light of scaled factorial moment (SFM) analysis, to investigate hybrid UrQMD hydro generated events of Au+Au collisions at 10 AGev to realize the role of hydrodynamic evolution on observed intermittency, if any. ln <F_q> values for q = 2 - 6 are found to increase with increasing values of ln M^2 indicating unambiguously the presence of intermittency in our data sample generated with both chiral and hadronic equation of states (EOS). Although various late processes like meson-meson (MM) and meson-baryon (MB) hadronic rescattering and/or resonance decays are to influence the intermittency index significantly, these processes could not be held responsible for the observed intermittency in hybrid UrQMD hydro data.

A class of phenomenological relativistic models of hadronic systems motivated by QCD that have dual representations as models of mesons and nucleons or quarks and gluons is investigated. These models are designed to provided qualitative insight into the role of sea quarks in hadronic structure and reactions. The model assumption is that the Hamiltonian can be divided into two parts; one that involves degrees of freedom in the same connected local and global color singlet and the remaining interactions that allow the connected local and global color singlets to interact. The first class of interactions results in infinite towers of bare "particles" with hadronic quantum numbers. All but a finite number of these remain stable when the second class of interactions is included. The model interactions are expressed in terms of sub-hadronic degrees of freedom, which determine the bare hadronic spectrum and the interactions involving the bare hadrons in terms of a small number of sub-hadronic model parameters. As a first test, this paper considers the simplest case of mesons that interact via a string-breaking interaction. One virtue of this model is that all of the bare meson masses and eigenfunctions can be computed analytically. In addition, the string breaking interaction leads to production vertices that can also be computed analytically. The relativistic wave functions have a light-front kinematic symmetry. The goal is to find a simple relativistic quantum mechanical model based on sub-hadronic degrees of freedom that can provide an efficient, qualitatively consistent description of hadronic masses, lifetimes, cross sections, sea quark effects, and electromagnetic properties. The simplicity of the model makes it a potentially useful tool to study the impact of sea quarks on hadronic structure and reactions.

We extend our previous calculation of the breakup of 11Be using Halo Effective Field Theory and the Dynamical Eikonal Approximation to include an effective 10Be-n-target force. The force is constructed to account for the virtual excitation of 10Be to its low-lying 2+ excited state. In the case of breakup on a 12C target this improves the description of the neutron-energy and angular spectra, especially in the vicinity of the 11Be 5/2+ state. By fine-tuning the range parameters of the three-body force, a reasonable description of data in the region of the 3/2+ 11Be state can also be obtained. This sensitivity to its range results from the structure of the overlap integral that governs the 11Be s-to-d-state transitions induced by the three-body force.

Monte Carlo event generators are a critical tool for the interpretation of data obtained by neutrino experiments. Several modern event generators are available which are well-suited to the GeV energy scale used in studies of accelerator neutrinos. However, theoretical modeling differences make their immediate application to lower energies difficult. In this paper, I present a new event generator, MARLEY, which is designed to better address the simulation needs of the low-energy (tens of MeV and below) neutrino community. The code is written in C++14 with an optional interface to the popular ROOT data analysis framework. The current release of MARLEY (version 1.2.0) emphasizes simulations of the reaction 40 Ar ( ν e , e ??) 40 K ??but is extensible to other channels with suitable user input. This paper provides detailed documentation of MARLEY's implementation and usage, including guidance on how generated events may be analyzed and how MARLEY may be interfaced with external codes such as Geant4. Further information about MARLEY is available on the official website at this http URL.

During the expansion of a heavy ion collision, the system passes close to the O(4) critical point of QCD, and thus the fluctuations of the order parameter (?, ? ??) are expected to be enhanced. Our goal is to compute how these enhanced fluctuations modify the transport coefficients of QCD near the pseudo-critical point. We also make a phenomenological estimate for how chiral fluctuations could effect the momentum spectrum of soft pions. We first formulate the appropriate stochastic hydrodynamic equations close to the O(4) critical point. Then, working in mean field, we determine the correlation functions of the stress tensor and the currents which result from this stochastic real time theory, and use these correlation functions to determine the scaling behavior of the transport coefficients. The hydrodynamic theory also describes the propagation of pion waves, fixing the scaling behavior of the dispersion curve of soft pions. We present scaling functions for the shear viscosity and the charge conductivities near the pseudo-critical point, and estimate the absolute magnitude of the critical fluctuations to these parameters and the bulk viscosity. Using the calculated pion dispersion curve, we estimate the expected critical enhancement of soft pion yields, and this estimate provides a plausible explanation for the excess seen in experiment relative to ordinary hydrodynamic computations. Our results motivate further phenomenological and numerical work on the implications of chiral symmetry on real time properties of thermal QCD near the pseudo-critical point.

The upper bound of the speed of sound in dense nuclear matter is one of the most interesting but still unsolved problems in Nuclear Physics. Theoretical studies in connection with recent observational data of isolated neutron stars as well as binary neutron stars systems offer an excellent opportunity to shed light on this problem. In the present work, we suggest a method to directly relate the measured tidal deformability (polarizability) of binary neutron stars system (before merger) to the maximum neutron star mass scenario and possible upper bound on the speed of sound. This method is based on the simple but efficient idea that while the upper limit of the effective tidal deformability favors soft equations of state, the recent high measured values of neutron star mass favor stiff ones. In the present work, firstly, using a simple well established model we parametrize the stiffness of the equation of state with the help of the speed of sound. Secondly, in comparison with the recent observations by LIGO/VIRGO collaboration of two events, GW170817 and GW190425, we suggest possible robust constraints. Moreover, we evaluate and postulate, in the framework of the present method, what kind of future measurements could help us to improve the stringent of the constraints on the neutron star equation of state.

The relativistic treatment of spin is a fundamental subject which has an old history. In various physical contexts it is necessary to separate the relativistic total angular momentum into an orbital and spin contribution. However, such decomposition is affected by ambiguities since one can always redefine the orbital and spin part through the so-called pseudo-gauge transformations. We analyze this problem in detail by discussing the most common choices of energy-momentum and spin tensors with an emphasis on their physical implications, and study the spin vector which is a pseudo-gauge invariant operator. We review the angular momentum decomposition as a crucial ingredient for the formulation of relativistic spin hydrodynamics and quantum kinetic theory with a focus on relativistic nuclear collisions, where spin physics has recently attracted significant attention. Furthermore, we point out the connection between pseudo-gauge transformations and the different definitions of the relativistic center of mass. Finally, we consider the Einstein-Cartan theory, an extension of conventional general relativity, which allows for a natural definition of the spin tensor.

We analyze the spinodal instabilities of spin polarized asymmetric nuclear matter at zero temperature for several configurations of the neutron and proton spins. The calculations are performed with the Brueckner--Hartree--Fock (BHF) approach using the Argonne V18 nucleon-nucleon potential plus a three-nucleon force of Urbana type. An analytical parametrization of the energy density, which reproduces with good accuracy the BHF results, is employed to determine the spinodal instability region. We find that, independently of the of the orientation of the neutron and proton spins, the spinodal instability region shinks when the system is polarized, being its size smaller smaller when neutron and proton spins are antiparallel than when they are oriented in a parallel way. We find also that the spinodal instability is always dominated by total density fluctuation independently of the degree of polarization of the system, and that restoration of the isospin symmetry in the liquid phase, {\it i.e.,} the so-called isospin distillation or fragmentation effect, becomes less efficient with the polarization of the system.