Pairing Gaps In Nuclei Research Articles

Density dependence of the pairing interaction and pairing correlation in unstable nuclei

This work aims at a global assessment of the effect of the density dependence of the zero-range pairing interaction. Systematic Skyrme-Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov calculations with the volume, surface and mixed pairing forces are carried out to study the pairing gaps in even-even nuclei over the whole nuclear chart. Calculations are also done in coordinate representation for unstable semi-magic even-even nuclei. The calculated pairing gaps are compared with empirical values from four different odd-even staggering formulae. Calculations with the three pairing interactions are comparable for most nuclei close to $\beta$-stability line. However, the surface interaction calculations predict neutron pairing gaps in neutron-rich nuclei that are significantly stronger than those given by the mixed and volume pairing. On the other hand, calculations with volume and mixed pairing forces show noticeable reduction of neutron pairing gaps in nuclei far from the stability.

On limits of ab initio calculations of pairing gap in nuclei

A brief review of recent microscopic calculations of nuclear pairing gap is given. A semi-microscopic model is suggested in which the ab initio effective pairing interaction is supplemented with a small phenomenological addendum. It involves a parameter which is universal for all medium and heavy nuclei. Calculations for several isotopic and isotonic chains of semi-magic nuclei confirm the relevance of the model.

Non-empirical pairing energy density functional

We perform systematic calculations of pairing gaps in semi-magic nuclei across the nuclear chart using the Energy Density Functional method and a {\it non-empirical} pairing functional derived, without further approximation, at lowest order in the two-nucleon vacuum interaction, including the Coulomb force. The correlated single-particle motion is accounted for by the SLy4 semi-empirical functional. Rather unexpectedly, both neutron and proton pairing gaps thus generated are systematically close to experimental data. Such a result further suggests that missing effects, i.e. higher partial-waves of the NN interaction, the NNN interaction and the coupling to collective fluctuations, provide an overall contribution that is sub-leading as for generating pairing gaps in nuclei. We find that including the Coulomb interaction is essential as it reduces proton pairing gaps by up to 40%.