HBAR Omega Research Articles

Coupled-channel description for mirror mass-11 nuclei compared to shell-model structures

The spectra of mass-11 nuclei are unusual, and so pose a challenge for nuclear-structure theory. Relating to nucleon emission, the set of isobars range from being well-bound (^{11}B,^{11}C) through weakly bound (^{11}Li, ^{11}Be), to being proton unstable (^{11}N,^{11}O). To add complexity, the weakly bound ^{11}Li takes the form of a two-nucleon halo nucleus. A self-consistent approach to understand this set of nuclei is especially important as the mirror pair ^{11}Be-^{11}N exhibit a parity-inverted ground state compared to their neighboring nuclei. Herein, the Multi-Channel Algebraic Scattering method (MCAS) has been used to describe the low excitation spectra of those isobars in terms of nucleon-nucleus clusters. A collective model description of the low-excitation states of the mass-10 mass-10 core nuclei has been used to form the coupled-channel interactions required in the method. For comparison, and to understand the underlying configurations, a shell model approach has been used to obtain those spectra with no-core (0+2+4)hbar omega and (0+2)hbar omega shell-model spaces for the mass 10 and mass 11 nuclei respectively. The results of the calculations suggest the need of a strong coupling in the collective coupled-channel vibrational model. In particular, the strong coupling of the collective 2^+_1 state of ^{10}Be to the valence neutron plays a decisive role in forming the positive parity ground state in ^{11}Be; an effect confirmed by the shell-model results.

Anharmonic phonon quasiparticle theory of zero-point and thermal shifts in insulators: Heat capacity, bulk modulus, and thermal expansion

The Quasi-harmonic (QH) approximation uses harmonic vibrational frequencies omega(H,Q,V), computed at volumes V near the volume where the Born-Oppenheimer (BO) energy is minimum. When this is used in the harmonic free energy, QH approximation gives a good zeroth order theory of thermal expansion, and first order theory of bulk modulus. Here, n-th order means smaller than the leading term by n powers of epsilon, where epsilon is the ratio hbar omega(Q)/E(el) or kT/E(el), and E(el) is an electronic energy scale, typically 2 to 10 eV. Experiment often shows evidence for next order corrections. When such corrections are needed, anharmonic interactions must be included. The most accessible measure of anhamonicity is the quasiparticle (QP) energy, omega(Q,V,T), seen experimentally by vibrational spectroscopy. However, this cannot just be inserted into the harmonic free energy F(H). In this paper, a free energy formula is found which corrects the double-counting of anharmonic interactions that is made when F is approximated by F(H,omega(Q,V,T)). The term "QP thermodynamics" is used for this way of treating anharmonicity. It enables (n+1)-order corrections, if QH theory is accurate to order n. This procedure is used to give corrections to specific heat and volume thermal expansion. The QH formulas for isothermal and adiabatic bulk moduli are clarified, and the route to higher order corrections is indicated.

Non-Drude universal scaling laws for the optical response of local Fermi liquids

We investigate the frequency and temperature dependence of the low-energy electron dynamics in a Landau Fermi liquid with a local self-energy. We show that the frequency and temperature dependencies of the optical conductivity obey universal scaling forms, for which explicit analytical expressions are obtained. For the optical conductivity and the associated memory function, we obtain a number of surprising features that differ qualitatively from the Drude model and are universal characteristics of a Fermi liquid. Different physical regimes of scaling are identified, with marked non-Drude features in the regime where hbar omega ~ kB T. These analytical results for the optical conductivity are compared to numerical calculations for the doped Hubbard model within dynamical mean-field theory. For the "universal" low-energy electrodynamics, we obtain perfect agreement between numerical calculations and analytical scaling laws. Both results show that the optical conductivity displays a non-Drude "foot", which could be easily mistaken as a signature of breakdown of the Fermi liquid, while it actually is a striking signature of its applicability. The aforementioned scaling laws provide a quantitative tool for the experimental identification and analysis of the Fermi-liquid state using optical spectroscopy, and a powerful method for the identification of alternative states of matter, when applicable.

Compton upconversion of twisted photons: backscattering of particles with non-planar wave functions

Twisted photons are not plane waves, but superpositions of plane waves with a defined projection hbar m of the orbital angular momentum onto the propagation axis (m is integer and may attain values m >> 1). Here, we describe in detail the possibility to produce high-energy twisted photons by backward Compton scattering of twisted laser photons on ultra-relativistic electrons with a Lorentz-factor gamma=E/(m_e c^2) >> 1. When a twisted laser photon with the energy hbar omega ~ 1 eV performs a collision with an electron and scatters backward, the final twisted photon conserves the angular momentum m, but its energy hbar omega' is increased considerably: omega'/omega=4 gamma^2/(1+x), where x=4E hbar omega/(m_e c^2)^2. The S matrix formalism for the description of scattering processes is particularly simple for plane waves with definite 4-momenta. However, in the considered case, this formalism must be enhanced because the quantum state of twisted particles cannot be reduced to plane waves. This implies that the usual notion of a cross section is inapplicable, and we introduce and calculate an averaged cross section for a quantitative description of the process. The energetic upconversion of twisted photons may be of interest for experiments with the excitation and disintegration of atoms and nuclei, and for studying the photo-effect and pair production off nuclei in previously unexplored regimes.

Electron-phonon coupling and the charge gap of spin-density wave iron-pnictide materials from quasiparticle relaxation dynamics

We investigate the quasiparticle relaxation and low-energy electronic structure in undoped SrFe_2As_2 exhibiting spin-density wave (SDW) ordering using optical pump-probe femtosecond spectroscopy. A remarkable critical slowing down of the quasiparticle relaxation dynamics at the SDW transition temperature T_SDW = 200K is observed. From temperature dependence of the transient reflectivity amplitude we determine the SDW-state charge gap magnitude, 2Delta_SDW/k_BT_SDW=7.2+-1. The second moment of the Eliashberg function, lambda<(hbar omega)^2>=110+-10meV^2, determined from the relaxation time above T_SDW, is similar to SmFeAsO and BaFe_2As_2 indicating a rather small electron phonon coupling constant unless the electron-phonon spectral function (alpha^2F(omega) is strongly enhanced in the low-energy phonon region.

Be7(p,γ)B8Sfactor fromab initiono-core shell model wave functions

Nuclear structure of 7Be, 8B and 7,8Li is studied within the ab initio no-core shell model (NCSM). Starting from high-precision nucleon-nucleon (NN) interactions, wave functions of 7Be and 8B bound states are obtained in basis spaces up to 10 hbar Omega and used to calculate channel cluster form factors (overlap integrals) of the 8B ground state with 7Be+p. Due to the use of the harmonic oscillator (HO) basis, the overlap integrals have incorrect asymptotic properties. We fix this problem in two alternative ways. First, by a Woods-Saxon (WS) potential solution fit to the interior of the NCSM overlap integrals. Second, by a direct matching with the Whittaker function. The corrected overlap integrals are then used for the 7Be(p,gamma)8B S-factor calculation. We study the convergence of the S-factor with respect to the NCSM HO frequency and the model space size. Our S-factor results are in agreement with recent direct measurement data. We also test the spectroscopic factors and the corrected overlap integrals from the NCSM in describing the momentum distributions in knockout reactions with 8B projectiles. A good agreement with the available experimental data is also found, attesting the overall consistency of the calculations.

Mo6S6 nanowires: structural, mechanical and electronic properties

The properties of Mo_6S_6 nanowires were investigated with ab-initio calculations based on the density-functional theory. The molecules build weakly coupled one-dimensional chains, like Mo_6Se_6 and Mo_6S_(9-x)I_x, and the crystals are strongly uniaxial in their mechanical and electronic properties. The calculated moduli of elasticity and resilience along the chain axis are c_(11) = 320 GPa and E_R = 0.53 GPa, respectively. The electronic band structure and optical conductivity indicate that the Mo_6S_6 crystals are good quasi-one-dimensional conductors. The frequency-dependent complex dielectric tensor epsilon, calculated in the random-phase approximation, shows a strong Drude peak in epsilon_parallel, i.e., for the electric field polarised parallel to the chain axis, and several peaks related to interband transitions. The electron energy loss spectrum is weakly anisotropic and has a strong peak at the plasma frequency (hbar omega_p) is approx 20 eV. The stability analysis shows that Mo_6S_6 is metastable against the formation of the layered MoS_2.

Unified Description of Bulk and Interface-Enhanced Spin Pumping

We describe a mechanism for generating nonequilibrium electron-spin accumulation in semiconductors or metals by rf magnetic field pumping. With a semiclassical model we show that a rotating applied magnetic field (or the processing magnetization inside a weak ferromagnet) generates a dc spin accumulation. For bulk systems this spin accumulation is in general given by a small fraction of h omega, where omega is the rotation or precession frequency. With the addition of a neighboring, field-free region, and allowing for the diffusion of spins across the interface, the spin accumulation is dramatically enhanced towards h omega near the interface. The interface-enhanced spin accumulation obtained within our bulk-oriented model is surprisingly similar to predictions based on interface-scattering theory [A. Brataas, Phys. Rev. B 66, 060404(R) (2002)].

Structure ofBe12: Intruderd-Wave Strength atN=8

The breaking of the N=8 shell-model magic number in the 12Be ground state has been determined to include significant occupancy of the intruder d-wave orbital. This is in marked contrast with all other N=8 isotones, both more and less exotic than 12Be. The occupancies of the [FORMULA: SEE TEXT]orbital and the [FORMULA: SEE TEXT], intruder orbital were deduced from a measurement of neutron removal from a high-energy 12Be beam leading to bound and unbound states in 11Be.

Theory of two-dimensional Josephson arrays in a resonant cavity

We consider the dynamics of a two-dimensional array of underdamped Josephson junctions placed in a single-mode resonant cavity. Starting from a well-defined model Hamiltonian, which includes the effects of driving current and dissipative coupling to a heat bath, we write down the Heisenberg equations of motion for the variables of the Josephson junction and the cavity mode, extending our previous one-dimensional model. In the limit of large numbers of photons, these equations can be expressed as coupled differential equations and can be solved numerically. The numerical results show many features similar to experiment. These include (i) self-induced resonant steps (SIRS's) at voltages V = (n hbar Omega)/(2e), where Omega is the cavity frequency, and n is generally an integer; (ii) a threshold number N_c of active rows of junctions above which the array is coherent; and (iii) a time-averaged cavity energy which is quadratic in the number of active junctions, when the array is above threshold. Some differences between the observed and calculated threshold behavior are also observed in the simulations and discussed. In two dimensions, we find a conspicuous polarization effect: if the cavity mode is polarized perpendicular to the direction of current injection in a square array, it does not couple to the array and there is no power radiated into the cavity. We speculate that the perpendicular polarization would couple to the array, in the presence of magnetic-field-induced frustration. Finally, when the array is biased on a SIRS, then, for given junction parameters, the power radiated into the array is found to vary as the square of the number of active junctions, consistent with expectations for a coherent radiation.

Excitations of the unstable nuclei48Niand49Ni

The isoscalar E1 and E2 resonances in the proton-rich nuclei ^{48,49}Ni and the {f_{7/2}3^-} multiplet in ^{49}Ni have been calculated taking into account the single-particle continuum exactly. The analogous calculations for the mirror nuclei ^{48}Ca and ^{49}Sc are presented. The models used are the continuum RPA for ^{48}Ni, ^{48}Ca and the Odd RPA for ^{49}Ni, ^{49}Sc, the latter has been developed recently and describes both single-particle and collective excitations of an odd nucleus on a common basis. In all four nuclei we obtained a distinct splitting of the isoscalar E1 resonance into 1 h-bar omega and 3 h-bar omega peaks at about 11 MeV and 30 MeV, respectively. The main part of the isoscalar E1 EWSR is exhausted by the 3 h-bar omega resonances. The 1 h-bar omega resonances exhaust about 35% of this EWSR in ^{48,49}Ni and about 22% in ^{48}Ca and ^{49}Sc. All seven {f_{7/2}3^-} multiplet members in ^{49}Ni are calculated to be in the (6-8) MeV energy region and have noticeable escape widths.

Low-lying excitations from the yrast line of weakly interacting trapped bosons

Through an extensive numerical study, we find that the low-lying, quasi-degenerate eigenenergies of weakly-interacting trapped N bosons with total angular momentum L are given in case of small L/N and sufficiently small L by E = L hbar omega + g[N(N-L/2-1)+1.59 n(n-1)/2], where omega is the frequency of the trapping potential and g is the strength of the repulsive contact interaction; the last term arises from the pairwise repulsive interaction among n octupole excitations and describes the lowest-lying excitation spectra from the Yrast line. In this case, the quadrupole modes do not interact with themselves and, together with the octupole modes, exhaust the low-lying spectra which are separated from others by N-linear energy gaps.

Four-nucleon shell-model calculations in a Faddeev-like approach

We use equations for Faddeev amplitudes to solve the shell-model problem for four nucleons in the model space that includes up to 14 hbar Omega harmonic-oscillator excitations above the unperturbed ground state. Two- and three-body effective interactions derived from the Reid93 and Argonne V8' nucleon-nucleon potentials are used in the calculations. Binding energies, excitations energies, point-nucleon radii and electromagnetic and strangeness charge form factors for 4He are studied. The structure of the Faddeev-like equations is discussed and a formula for matrix elements of the permutation operators in a harmonic-oscillator basis is given. The dependence on harmonic-oscillator excitations allowed in the model space and on the harmonic-oscillator frequency is investigated. It is demonstrated that the use of the three-body effective interactions improves the convergence of the results.