Effective field theory approach to nuclear matter

Abstract

The two- and three-nucleon interactions derived in chiral effective field theory at next-to-next-to-leading order are used to obtain the binding energy of nuclear matter. Saturation is found at a binding energy per particle E/A=−16.2±0.3 MeV and a Fermi momentum kF=1.30±0.03fm−1, where the uncertainty is due to the cut-off dependence of the two-nucleon interaction. The sensitivity of these values to the three-nucleon force is also studied.