A novel way of recasting the Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer gap equations

Abstract

The gap equations lie at the core of the Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS) theory, a standard tool in the description of superfluidity. As a set of non-linear integral equations, the gap equations' inherent difficulties oftentimes hinder even the crudest descriptions of superfluid states. Hard-core potentials, high-density superfluids, and coupled-channel pairing are all reasons that have historically required one to provide special treatment to the gap equations to get a solution. In this paper we present a new method for solving the gap equations that holds the promise of being an efficient universal solver that requires the minimum amount of \textit{a priori} knowledge of the targeted solutions. With theoretical evidence of exotic nuclear superfluidity posing new questions to our understanding of this fundamental property of nuclear systems, the presented method can be a valuable tool when exploring new pairing states, finite-temperature properties, or the development of sophisticated descriptions of nuclear superfludity.