Short range correlations in relativistic nuclear matter models

Abstract

Short range correlations are introduced using the unitary correlation method in a relativistic approach to the equation of state of the infinite nuclear matter in the framework of the Hartree-Fock approximation. It is shown that the correlations give rise to an extra node in the ground state wave function in the nucleons, contrary to what happens in nonrelativistic calculations with a hard core. The effect of the correlations on the ground state properties of nuclear and neutron matter is studied. The nucleon effective mass and equation of state (EOS) are very sensitive to short range correlations. In particular, if the pion contact term is neglected, a softening of the EOS is predicted. Correlations have also an important effect on the neutron matter EOS which presents no binding but only a very shallow minimum, contrary to the Walcka model.