Density dependence of the three-body correlation energy in nuclear matter

Abstract

Using the formalism of Bethe-Dahlblom, contributions to the binding energy of nuclear matter due to three-body correlations are calculated as a function of density for the Reid soft core potential. Good agreement with Dahlblom's earlier calculation is obtained at low density. At higher density this author's questionable density dependence is shown to originate from computing off-shell quantities with the bare reference spectrum method.