Mario Stoitsov

The limits of the nuclear landscape

In 2011, 100 new nuclides were discovered. They joined the approximately 3,000 stable and radioactive nuclides that either occur naturally on Earth or are synthesized in the laboratory. Every atomic nucleus, characterized by a specific number of protons and neutrons, occupies a spot on the chart of nuclides, which is bounded by ‘drip lines’ indicating the values of neutron and proton number at which nuclear binding ends. The placement of the neutron drip line for the heavier elements is based on theoretical predictions using extreme extrapolations, and so is uncertain. However, it is not known how uncertain it is or how many protons and neutrons can be bound in a nucleus. Here we estimate these limits of the nuclear ‘landscape’ and provide statistical and systematic uncertainties for our predictions. We use nuclear density functional theory, several Skyrme interactions and high-performance computing, and find that the number of bound nuclides with between 2 and 120 protons is around 7,000. We find that extrapolations for drip-line positions and selected nuclear properties, including neutron separation energies relevant to astrophysical processes, are very consistent between the models used.

Nuclear Energy Density Optimization

We carry out state-of-the-art optimization of a nuclear energy density of Skyrme type in the framework of the Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov (HFB) theory. The particle-hole and particle-particle channels are optimized simultaneously, and the experimental data set includes both spherical and deformed nuclei. The new model-based, derivative-free optimization algorithm used in this work ��

Nuclear energy density optimization: Large deformations

A new Skyrme-like energy density suitable for studies of strongly elongated nuclei has been determined in the framework of the Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov theory using the recently developed model-based, derivative-free optimization algorithm POUNDerS. A sensitivity analysis at the optimal solution has revealed the importance of states at large deformations in driving the parameterization of the functional. The good agreement with experimental data on masses and separation energies, achieved with the previous parameterization UNEDF0, is largely preserved. In addition, the new energy density UNEDF1 gives a much improved description of the fission barriers in ^{240}Pu and neighboring nuclei.

Axially deformed solution of the Skyrme-Hartree-Fock-Bogolyubov equations using the transformed harmonic oscillator basis (III) HFBTHO (v3.00): a new version of the program.

We describe the new version 2.00d of the code hfbtho that solves the nuclear Skyrme Hartree-Fock (HF) or Skyrme Hartree-Fock-Bogolyubov (HFB)problem by using the cylindrical transformed deformed harmonic oscillator basis. In the new version, we have implemented the following features: (i) the modified Broyden method for non-linear problems, (ii) optional breaking of reflection symmetry, (iii) calculation of axial multipole moments, (iv) finite temperature formalism for the HFB method, (v) linear constraint method based on the approximation of the Random Phase Approximation (RPA) matrix for multi-constraint calculations, (vi) blocking of quasi-particles in the Equal Filling Approximation (EFA), (vii) framework for generalized energy density with arbitrary density-dependences, and (viii) shared memory parallelism via OpenMP pragmas.

One-quasiparticle States in the Nuclear Energy Density Functional Theory

We study one-quasiproton excitations in the rare-earth region in the framework of the nuclear Density Functional Theory in the Skyrme-Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov variant. The blocking prescription is implemented exactly with the time-odd mean field fully taken into account. The equal filling approximation is compared with the exact blocking procedure. We show that both procedures are strictly equivalent when the time-odd channel is neglected, and discuss how nuclear alignment properties affect the time-odd fields. The impact of time-odd fields on calculated one-quasiproton bandhead energies is found to be rather small, of the order of 100-200 keV; hence, the equal filling approximation is sufficiently precise for most practical applications. The triaxial polarization of the core induced by the odd particle is studied. We also briefly discuss the occurrence of finite-size spin instabilities that are present in calculations for odd-mass nuclei when certain Skyrme functionals are employed.

Solution of the Skyrme-Hartree-Fock-Bogolyubov equations in the Cartesian deformed harmonic-oscillator basis. (VI) hfodd (v2.40h): A new version of the program ✩

We describe the new version (v2.38j) of the code hfodd which solves the nuclear SkyrmeHartree-Fock or Skyrme-Hartree-Fock-Bogolyubov problem by using the Cartesian deformed harmonic-oscillator basis. In the new version, we have implemented: (i) projection on good angular momentum (for the Hartree-Fock states), (ii) calculation of the GCM kernels, (iii) calculation of matrix elements of the Yukawa interaction, (iv) the BCS solutions for statedependent pairing gaps, (v) the HFB solutions for broken simplex symmetry, (vi) calculation of Bohr deformation parameters, (vii) constraints on the Schiff moments and scalar multipole moments, (viii) the D T transformations and rotations of wave functions, (ix) quasiparticle blocking for the HFB solutions in odd and odd-odd nuclei, (x) the Broyden method to accelerate the convergence, (xi) the Lipkin-Nogami method to treat pairing correlations, (xii) the exact Coulomb exchange term, (xiii) several utility options, and we have corrected two insignificant errors.

Particle-number projection and the density functional theory

In the framework of the Density Functional Theory for superconductors, we study the restoration of the particle number symmetry by means of the projection technique. Conceptual problems are outlined and numerical difficulties are discussed. Both are related to the fact that neither the many-body Hamiltonian nor the wave function of the system appear explicitly in the Density Functional Theory. Similar obstacles are encountered in self-consistent theories utilizing density-dependent effective interactions.

Broyden's Method in Nuclear Structure Calculations

Broydens method, widely used in quantum chemistry electronic-structure calculations for the numerical solution of nonlinear equations in many variables, is applied in the context of the nuclear many-body problem. Examples include the unitary gas problem, the nuclear density functional theory with Skyrme functionals, and the nuclear coupled-cluster theory. The stability of the method, its ease of use, and its rapid convergence rates make Broydens method a tool of choice for large-scale nuclear structure calculations.

Deformed Coordinate-Space Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov Approach to Weakly Bound Nuclei and Large Deformations

The coordinate space formulation of the Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov (HFB) method enables self-consistent treatment of mean field and pairing in weakly bound systems whose properties are affected by the particle continuum space. Of particular interest are neutron-rich, deformed drip-line nuclei which can exhibit novel properties associated with neutron skin. To describe such systems theoretically, we developed an accurate 2D lattice Skyrme-HFB solver HFB-AX based on B-splines. Compared to previous implementations, we made a number of improvements aimed at boosting the solvers performance. These include: explicit imposition of axiality and space inversion, use of the modified Broydens method to solve self-consistent equations, and a partial parallelization of the code. HFB-AX has been benchmarked against other HFB solvers, both spherical and deformed, and the accuracy of the B-spline expansion was tested by employing the multi-resolution wavelet method. Illustrative calculations are carried out for stable and weakly bound nuclei at spherical and very deformed shapes, including constrained fission pathways. In addition to providing new physics insights, HFB-AX can serve as a useful tool to assess the reliability and applicability of coordinate-space and configuration-space HFB solvers, both existing and in development.

Augmented Lagrangian method for constrained nuclear density functional theory

Abstract.The augmented Lagrangiam method (ALM), widely used in quantum chemistry constrained optimization problems, is applied in the context of the nuclear Density Functional Theory (DFT) in the self-consistent constrained Skyrme Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov (CHFB) variant. The ALM allows precise calculations of multi-dimensional energy surfaces in the space of collective coordinates that are needed to, e.g., determine fission pathways and saddle points; it improves the accuracy of computed derivatives with respect to collective variables that are used to determine collective inertia; and is well adapted to supercomputer applications.