Search arXivSearch

arXiv · 1602.07869

Thermal QRPA with Skyrme interactions and supernova neutral-current neutrino-nucleus reactions

Abstract

The Thermal Quasiparticle Random-Phase Approximation is combined with the Skyrme energy density functional method (Skyrme-TQRPA) to study the response of a hot nucleus to an external perturbation. For the sample nuclei, $^{56}$Fe and $^{82}$Ge, the Skyrme-TQRPA is applied to analyze thermal effects on the strength function of charge-neutral Gamow-Teller transitions which dominate neutrino-nucleus reactions at $E_ν\lesssim 20$~MeV. For the relevant supernova temperatures we calculate the cross sections for inelastic neutrino scattering. We also apply the method to examine the rate of neutrino-antineutrino pair emission by hot nuclei. The cross sections and rates are compared with those obtained earlier from the TQRPA calculations based on the phenomenological Quasiparticle-Phonon Model Hamiltonian. For inelastic neutrino scattering on $^{56}$Fe we also compare the Skyrme-TQRPA results to those obtained earlier from a hybrid approach that combines shell-model and RPA calculations.

Explore related subjects

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeXRIS

Alan A. Dzhioev, A. I. Vdovin, G. Martínez-Pinedo, J. Wambach, Ch. Stoyanov. 2016-07-19. Thermal QRPA with Skyrme interactions and supernova neutral-current neutrino-nucleus reactions. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevc.94.015805

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related papers

Dimer Effective Field Theory

While chiral perturbation theory for mesons is characterized by a momentum expansion in $Q/Λ_χ$ with $Λ_χ\sim 1$ GeV, existing formulations of effective theory for nucleon-nucleon scattering deviate from data at $Q\sim 300$ MeV or lower. We offer heuristic evidence that unsuspected nonanalytic structure exists in the complex momentum plane obstructing the effective field theory expansion in the spin-triplet channels, associated with the peak of the angular momentum barrier whose energy in low partial waves satisfies $k=\sqrt{ME} \sim 300$ MeV. With this motivation, we construct a meromorphic function of $k^2$ we call the $C$-matrix, for which the radius of convergence of its Taylor expansion in $k^2$ is equivalent to that of the momentum expansion of the effective field theory. Thus the range of validity of the effective theory is directly related to the pole structure of the $C$-matrix. We uncover that pole structure and confirm that it is the source of the obstruction. The systematic inclusion of dimer fields as propagating degrees of freedom in the effective theory to account for those poles results in cut-off insensitive fits at order $Q^0$ to most of the lower partial wave phase shifts up to the pion production threshold, using only the one pion exchange part of the long-range nucleon-nucleon interaction. Our theory should be applicable to the singular potentials regularly found in atomic physics as well.

nucl-th

Three-dimensional orbital-free density functional theory description of nuclear pasta in the inner crust of neutron stars

Background: In the bottom layer of the inner crust of neutron stars, various crystalline structures are expected to emerge that are collectively called ``nuclear pasta.'' It is desirable to know properties of nuclear pasta in a wide variety of conditions for astrophysical applications. However, three-dimensional fully-microscopic calculations require huge computational effort that makes it still challenging to carry out systematic calculations. Purpose: In this paper, we propose an efficient method to calculate various nuclear pasta configurations in a non-empirical manner, based on three-dimensional orbital-free density functional theory (OF-DFT). We demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed approach by applying it to densities across the inner crust of neutron stars. Methods: As a first application of OF-DFT for nuclear pasta, we employ the second-order extended Thomas-Fermi (ETF) expansion of Skyrme energy density functional (EDF) to construct an EDF that depends only on neutron and proton number densities. Based on the variational principle, we derive Euler-Lagrange equations to determine optimal neutron and proton density distributions and solve them self-consistently. In this work, we call this approach the self-consistent ETF (SC-ETF) method. Results: We perform three-dimensional SC-ETF calculations with various box sizes. We successfully obtain various pasta structures, depending on given average nucleon number densities, consistent with earlier studies. Moreover, we find other exotic structures, such as bending and/or connected rods, slabs with a hole, etc., underlining the advantage of the self-consistent formalism. Conclusions: We demonstrate that the SC-ETF method proposed in this study, which can be regarded as a realization of OF-DFT, is a promising tool that can efficiently describe complex pasta structures without empirical assumptions on geometric shapes.

nucl-th

Microscopic analysis of M1 scissors mode in $^{254}$No

The low-energy $M1$ orbital scissors mode (SM) was recently observed by Oslo group in deformed nucleus $^{254}$No. This is the heaviest nucleus where SM was ever experimentally found. We propose the analysis of SM, together with the spin-flip $M1$ resonance, within fully self-consistent Quasiparticle Random-Phase Approximation (QRPA) with Skyrme forces SG2, SLy4 and SLy5. The impact of "tensor" $J^2$-term, introduced by perturbative (on the base of SG2) and consistent (SLy5) ways, is analyzed and shown to be noticeable but not decisive. The deformation-induced coupling of $M1$ and $E2$ states is inspected. The calculations reasonably describe Oslo's experimental data. The best agreement is obtained for SLy5. A fine structure of SM in $^{254}$No is predicted. A significant constructive interference of the dominant orbital and minor spin-flip contributions to $M1$ strength at SM energy region is found. What is remarkable, our analysis of distributions of the convective nuclear currents challenges the scissors-like flow usually assumed for SM.

nucl-th