Precise description of nuclear spectra with energy density functional methods

by Prof. Tomas Rodriguez Frutos (Università Autonoma Madrid)

Wednesday 21 Oct 2015, 11:00 → 12:30 Europe/Rome

LAE meeting room (INFN-LNL)

Large scale shell model (LSSM) and energy density functional methods (EDF) are the two most widely used theoretical methods to compute low-energy nuclear structure properties. While LSSM provides normally the best description of nuclear excitation energies, its applicability is limited to nuclei not far away from shell closures. Additionally, the interactions used must be tuned specifically to the region of interest. On the other hand, EDF methods do not suffer from these two limitations although, in general, only a qualitative agreement with the experimental data is obtained. Nevertheless, the inclusion of beyond-mean-field effects -like symmetry restorations and configuration mixing- and the explicit exploration of degrees of freedom (triaxial deformations, cranking states, …) is allowing the EDF methods to provide a more quantitative description of nuclear excitation energies and transitions. Additionally, the calculation of occupation numbers of spherical orbits with correlated EDF states can be used as a bridge between LSSM and EDF frameworks. In this seminar I will present the recent results obtained with EDF methods based on the Gogny interaction. In particular, I will focus on the systematics of the low-lying excitation energies in Magnesium isotopic chain, as well as the description of the intriguing structure of 44S semi-magic nucleus. Finally, I will discuss the role of the sdg shell in the neutron rich N=40 isotones.