Brian D. Serot

The Relativistic Nuclear Many Body Problem

These lectures are based on a book “THE RELATIVISTIC NUCLEAR MANY-BODY PROBLEM” written with Brian Serot which will appear as volume 16 of the series Advances in Nuclear Physics edited by J. W. Negele and E. Vogt [R1]. I am distributing copies of the table of contents.

Self-consistent hartree description of finite nuclei in a relativistic quantum field theory

Abstract Relativistic Hartree equations for spherical nuclei are derived from a relativistic nuclear quantum field theory using a coordinate-space Green function approach. The renormalizable field theory lagrangian includes the interaction of nucleons with σ, ω, ρ and π mesons and the photon. The Hartree equations represent the “mean-field” approximation for a finite nuclear system. Coupling constants and the σ-meson mass are determined from the properties of nuclear matter and the rms charge radius in 40Ca, and pionic contributions are absent for static, closed-shell nuclei. Calculated charge densities, neutron densities, rms radii, and single-nucleon energy levels throughout the periodic table are compared with data and with results of non-relativistic calculations. Relativistic Hartree results agree with experiment at a level comparable to that of the most sophisticated non-relativistic calculations to date. It is shown that the Lorentz covariance of the relativistic formalism leads naturally to density-dependent interactions between nucleons. Furthermore, non-relativistic reduction reveals non-central and non-local aspects inherent in the Hartree formalism. The success of this simple relativistic Hartree approach is attributed to these features of the interaction.

A chiral effective lagrangian for nuclei

Abstract An effective hadronic lagrangian consistent with the symmetries of quantum chromodynamics and intended for applications to finite-density systems is constructed. The degrees of freedom are (valence) nucleons, pions and the low-lying non-Goldstone bosons, which account for the intermediate-range nucleon-nucleon interactions and conveniently describe the nonvanishing expectation values of nucleon bilinears. Chiral symmetry is realized nonlinearly, with a light scalar meson included as a chiral singlet to describe the mid-range nucleon-nucleon attraction. The low-energy electromagnetic structure of the nucleon is described within the theory using vector-meson dominance, so that external form factors are not needed. The effective lagrangian is expanded in powers of the fields and their derivatives, with the terms organized using Georgis “naive dimensional analysis”. Results are presented for finite nuclei and nuclear matter at one-baryon-loop order, using the single-nucleon structure determined within the model. Parameters obtained from fits to nuclear properties show that naive dimensional analysis is a useful principle and that a truncation of the effective lagrangian at the first few powers of the fields and their derivatives is justified.

Relativistic mean-field theory and the high-density nuclear equation of state

Abstract The properties of high-density nuclear and neutron matter are studied using a relativistic mean-field approximation to the nuclear matter energy functional. Based on ideas of effective field theory, nonlinear interactions between the fields are introduced to parametrize the density dependence of the energy functional. Various types of nonlinearities involving scalar-isoscalar (σ), vector-isoscalar (ω) and vector-isovector (ϱ) fields are studied. After calibrating the model parameters at equilibrium nuclear matter density, the model and parameter dependence of the resulting equation of state is examined in the neutron-rich and high-density regime. It is possible to build different models that reproduce the same observed properties at normal nuclear densities, but which yield maximum neutron star masses that differ by more than one solar mass. Implications for the existence of kaon condensates or quark cores in neutron stars are discussed.

A relativistic nuclear field theory with π and ρ mesons

Abstract The relativistic quantum field theory of Walecka is extended to include the interactions of π and ρ mesons. The proposed model is a non-abelian gauge theory and is renormalizable. The corresponding mean-field theory is derived and applied to calculations of cold nuclear matter.

Properties of nuclear and neutron matter in a relativistic Hartree-Fock theory☆

Abstract Relativistic Hartree-Fock (HF) equations are derived for an infinite system of mesons and baryons in the framework of a renormalizable relativistic quantum field theory. The derivation is based on a diagrammatic approach and Dysons equation for the baryon propagator. The result is a set of coupled, nonlinear integral equations for the baryon self-energy with a self-consistency condition on the single-particle spectrum. The HF equations are solved for nuclear and neutron matter in the Walecka model, which contains neutral scalar and vector mesons. After renormalizing model parameters to reproduce nuclear matter saturation properties, HF results at low to moderate densities are similar to those in the mean-field (Hartree) approximation. Self-consistent exchange corrections to the Hartree equation of state become negligible at high densities. Rho- and pi-meson exchanges are incorporated using a renormalizable gauge-theory model. A chiral transformation of the lagrangian is used to replace the pseudoscalar π N coupling with a pseudovector coupling, for which one-pion exchange is a reasonable first approximation. This transformation maintains the models renormalizability so that corrections may be evaluated. Pion exchange has a small effect on the HF results of the Walecka model and brings HF results in closer agreement with the mean-field theory. The diagrammatic techniques used here retain the mesonic degrees of freedom and are simple enough to be extended to more refined self-consistent approximations.

Analysis of chiral mean field models for nuclei

Abstract An analysis of nuclear properties based on a relativistic energy functional containing Dirac nucleons and classical scalar and vector meson fields is discussed. Density functional theory implies that this energy functional can include many-body effects that go beyond the simple Hartree approximation. Using basic ideas from effective field theory, a systematic truncation scheme is developed for the energy functional, which is based on an expansion in powers of the meson fields and their gradients. The utility of this approach relies on the observation that the large scalar and vector fields in nuclei are small enough compared to the nucleon mass to provide useful expansion parameters, yet large enough that exchange and correlation corrections to the fields can be treated as minor perturbations. Field equations for nuclei and nuclear matter are obtained by extremizing the energy functional with respect to the field variables, and inversion of these field equations allows one to express the unknown coefficients in the energy functional directly in terms of nuclear-matter properties near equilibrium. This allows for a systematic and complete study of the parameter space, so that parameter sets that accurately reproduce nuclear observables can be found, and models that fail to reproduce nuclear properties can be excluded. Chiral models are analyzed by considering specific Lagrangians that realize the spontaneously broken chiral symmetry of QCD in different ways and by studying them at theHartree level. The resulting energy functionals are special cases of the general functional considered earlier. Models that include a light scalar meson playing a dual role as the chiral partner of the pion and the mediator of the intermediate-range nucleon-nucleon interaction, and which include a “Mexican-hat” potential, fail to reproduce basic ground-state properties of nuclei at the Hartree level. In contrast, chiral models with a non-linear realization of the symmetry are shown to contain the full flexibility inherent in the general energy functional and can therefore successfully describe nuclei.

The Nuclear spin orbit force in chiral effective field theories

Abstract A compelling feature of relativistic mean-field phenomenology has been the reproduction of spin-orbit splittings in finite nuclei after fitting only to equilibrium properties of infinite nuclear matter. This successful result occurs when the velocity dependence of the equivalent central potential that leads to saturation arises primarily because of a reduced nucleon effective mass. The spin-orbit interaction is then also specified when one works in a four-component Dirac framework. Here the nature of the spin-orbit force in more general chiral effective field theories of nuclei is examined, with an emphasis on the role of the tensor coupling of the isoscalar vector meson (ω) to the nucleon.

The Pion Propagator in Relativistic Quantum Field Theories of the Nuclear Many Body Problem

Abstract Pion interactions in the nuclear medium are studied using renormalizable relativistic quantum field theories. Previous studies using pseudoscalar πN coupling encountered difficulties due to the large strength of the πNN vertex. We therefore formulate renormalizable field theories with pseudovector πN coupling using techniques introduced by Weinberg and Schwinger. Calculations are performed for two specific models: the scalar-vector theory of Walecka, extended to include π and ρ mesons in a non-chiral fashion, and the linear σ-model with an additional neutral vector meson. Both models qualitatively reproduce low-energy πN phenomenology and lead to nuclear matter saturation in the relativistic Hartree formalism, which includes baryon vacuum fluctuations. The pion propagator is evaluated in the onenucleon-loop approximation, which corresponds to a relativistic random-phase approximation built on the Hartree ground state. Virtual N N loops are included, and suitable renormalization techniques are illustrated. The local-density approximation is used to compare the threshold pion self-energy to the s-wave pion-nucleus optical potential. In the non-chiral model, s-wave pion-nucleus scattering is too large in both pseudoscalar and pseudovector calculations, indicating that additional constraints must be imposed on the lagrangian. In the chiral model, the threshold self-energy vanishes automatically in the pseudovector case, but does so for pseudoscalar coupling only if the baryon effective mass is chosen self-consistently. Since extrapolation from free space to nuclear density can lead to large effects, pion propagation in the medium can determine which πN coupling is more suitable for the relativistic nuclear many-body problem. Conversely, pion interactions constrain the model lagrangian and the nuclear matter equation of state. An approximately chiral model with pseudovector coupling is favored. The techniques developed here allow for a consistent treatment of these models using renormalizable relativistic quantum field theores.

Vacuum Contributions in a Chiral Effective Lagrangian for Nuclei

A relativistic hadronic model for nuclear matter and finite nuclei, which incorporates nonlinear chiral symmetry and broken scale invariance, is presented and applied at the one-baryon-loop level to finite nuclei. The model contains an effective light scalar field that is responsible for the midrange nucleon-nucleon attraction and which has anomalous scaling behavior. One-loop vacuum contributions in this background scalar field at finite density are constrained by low-energy theorems that reflect the broken scale invariance of quantum chromodynamics. A mean-field energy functional for nuclear matter and nuclei is derived that contains small powers of the fields and their derivatives, and the validity of this truncation is discussed. Good fits to the bulk properties of finite nuclei and single-particle spectra are obtained.