Single-particle Momentum Distributions Research Articles

Single-particle momentum distribution of Efimov states in noninteger dimensions

Single-particle momentum distribution of Efimov states in noninteger dimensions

Erratum: Single-particle momentum distributions of Efimov states in mixed-species systems [Phys. Rev. A 87 , 062702 (2013)

Erratum: Single-particle momentum distributions of Efimov states in mixed-species systems [Phys. Rev. A <b>87</b> , 062702 (2013)

Adiabatic sweep theorem for three-dimensional dipolar Bose gases

The variational theorem for the scattering length in the presence of the dipole-dipole interaction is developed. The theorem is applied to the spinless dipolar Bose gas in three dimensions. We calculated analytically the long-range tails of the single-particle momentum distribution and static structure factor, and the pair distribution function at short distances. The momentum distribution is inversely proportional to $q^4$ with the anisotropic prefactor. In the absence of the dipole-dipole interaction, Tan's adiabatic sweep theorem is reproduced as a particular case. For the homogeneous dilute Bose gas, all the relations are calculated analytically.

Embedding short-range correlations in relativistic density functionals through quasi-deuterons

The formation of clusters at sub-saturation densities, as a result of many-body correlations, constitutes an essential feature for a reliable modelization of the nuclear matter equation of state (EoS). Phenomenological models that make use of energy density functionals (EDFs) offer a convenient approach to account for the presence of these bound states of nucleons when introduced as additional degrees of freedom. However, in these models clusters dissolve, by construction, when the nuclear saturation density is approached from below, revealing inconsistencies with recent findings that evidence the existence of short-range correlations (SRCs) even at larger densities. The idea of this work is to incorporate SRCs in established models for the EoS, in light of the importance of these features for the description of heavy-ion collisions, nuclear structure and in the astrophysical context. Our aim is to describe SRCs at supra-saturation densities by using effective quasi-clusters immersed in dense matter as a surrogate for correlations, in a regime where cluster dissolution is usually predicted in phenomenological models. Within the EDF framework, we explore a novel approach to embed SRCs within a relativistic mean-field model with density dependent couplings through the introduction of suitable in-medium modifications of the cluster properties, in particular their binding energy shifts, which are responsible for describing the cluster dissolution. As a first exploratory step, the example of a quasi-deuteron within the generalized relativistic density functional approach is investigated. The zero temperature case is examined, where the deuteron fraction is given by the density of a boson condensate. For the first time, suitable parameterizations of the cluster mass shift at zero temperature are derived for all baryon densities. They are constrained by experimental results for the effective deuteron fraction in nuclear matter near saturation and by microscopic many-body calculations in the low-density limit. A proper description of well-constrained nuclear matter quantities at saturation is kept through a refit of the nucleon meson coupling strengths. The proposed parameterizations allow to also determine the density dependence of the quasi-deuteron mass fraction at arbitrary isospin asymmetries. The strength of the deuteron-meson couplings is assessed to be of crucial importance. Novel effects on some thermodynamic quantities, such as the matter incompressibility, the symmetry energy and its slope, are finally discerned and discussed. The findings of the present study represent a first step to improve the description of nuclear matter and its EoS at supra-saturation densities in EDFs by considering correlations in an effective way. In a next step, the single-particle momentum distributions in nuclear matter can be explored using proper wave functions of the quasi-deuteron in the medium. The momentum distributions are expected to exhibit a high-momentum tail, as observed in the experimental study of SRCs by nucleon knockout with high-energy electrons. This will be studied in a forthcoming publication with an extensive presentation of the theoretical method and the results.

Momentum Distribution Functions and Pair Correlation Functions of Unpolarized Uniform Electron Gas in Warm Dense Matter Regime

In this paper we continued our research of the uniform electron gas in a warm dense matter regime, focusing on the momentum distribution functions and pair correlation functions. We use the single–momentum path integral Monte Carlo method, based on the Wigner formulation of quantum statistics to calculate both momentum- and coordinate-depending distributions and average values of quantum operators for many-fermion Coulomb systems. We discovered that the single-particle momentum distribution function deviates from the ideal Fermi distribution and forms the so-called “quantum tails” at high momenta, if non-ideality is strong enough in both degenerate and non-degenerate cases. This effect is always followed by the appearance of the short-range order on pair correlation functions and can be explained by the tunneling through the effective potential wells surrounding the electrons. Furthermore, we calculated the average kinetic and potential energies in the wide range of states, expanding our previous results significantly.

Thermalization of nuclear matter in heavy-ion collisions at Fermi energies

We analyze the time evolution of the kinetic properties of nuclear matter produced in heavy-ion collisions at Fermi energies. The collision system is simulated using Constrained Molecular Dynamics (CoMD) transport calculations whose output is the isospin, position, and momentum of the nucleons. Focusing on central 35A⋅MeV 40Ca+40Ca collisions we utilize this information to extract localized momentum distributions in volume elements of 8fm3 and time steps of 5fm/c. We then parameterize the single-particle momentum distributions with thermally motivated fit functions in the local rest frame of each cell. While the transverse-momentum distributions are well reproduced by thermal ones, the longitudinal ones carry a marked imprint of the initial nuclear motion which we capture by introducing a centroid motion into our fit functions. In particular, we find that Fermi distributions yield significantly better fits than Boltzmann ones, a consequence of the Pauli blocking implemented in CoMD. From the fits we extract the time dependence of the thermodynamic and collective properties of the excited nuclear medium. We find that the transverse temperature gradually rises to about 6MeV, which is accompanied by a dissipation of the initial centroid motion of the incoming nuclei which vanishes at about 100fm/c after initial impact. We are therefore able to track the transition of beam energy into random kinetic energy for nucleons, suggesting a three-dimensional equilibration of energy in the late stages of the collision.

Scaling behavior of the momentum distribution of a quantum Coulomb system in a confining potential

We calculate the single-particle momentum distribution of a quantum many-particle system in the presence of the Coulomb interaction and a confining potential. The region of intermediate momenta, where the confining potential dominates, marks a crossover from a Gaussian distribution valid at low momenta to a power-law behavior valid at high momenta. We show that for all momenta the momentum distribution can be parametrized by a $q$-Gaussian distribution whose parameters are specified by the confining potential. Furthermore, we find that the functional form of the probability of transitions between the confined ground state and the $n^{th}$ excited state is invariant under scaling of the ratio $Q^2/\nu_n$, where $Q$ is the transferred momentum and $\nu_n$ is the corresponding excitation energy. Using the scaling variable $Q^2/\nu_n$ the maxima of the transition probabilities can also be expressed in terms of a $q$-Gaussian.

Investigating the link between proton reaction cross sections and the quenching of proton spectroscopic factors in 48Ca

The nucleon self-energies of 40Ca and 48Ca are determined using a nonlocal dispersive optical model (DOM). By enforcing the dispersion relation connecting the real and imaginary part of the self-energy, scattering and structure data are used to constrain these self-energies. The ability to calculate both bound and scattering states simultaneously puts these self-energies in a unique position to consistently describe exclusive knockout reactions such as (e,e′p). The present analysis reveals the importance of high-energy proton reaction cross-section data in constraining spectroscopic factors required for the description of the (e,e′p) cross sections. In particular, it is imperative that high-energy proton reaction cross-section data are measured for 48Ca in the near future so that the quenching of the spectroscopic factors in the 48Ca(e,e′p)47K reaction can be unambiguously constrained using the DOM. Measurements of proton reaction cross sections in inverse kinematics employing rare isotope beams with large neutron excess will provide corresponding constraints on proton spectroscopic factors for exotic nuclei. Moreover, DOM generated spectral functions indicate that the quenching of spectroscopic factors compared to 40Ca is not only due to long-range correlation, but also partly due to the increase in high-momentum protons in 48Ca on account of the strong neutron-proton interaction. Single-particle momentum distributions of protons and neutrons in 48Ca calculated from these spectral functions confirm that neutron excess causes a higher fraction of high-momentum protons than neutrons.

Equilibration in the Nosé–Hoover Isokinetic Ensemble: Effect of Inter-Particle Interactions

We investigate the stationary and dynamic properties of the celebrated Nosé–Hoover dynamics of many-body interacting Hamiltonian systems, with an emphasis on the effect of inter-particle interactions. To this end, we consider a model system with both short- and long-range interactions. The Nosé–Hoover dynamics aim to generate the canonical equilibrium distribution of a system at a desired temperature by employing a set of time-reversible, deterministic equations of motion. A signature of canonical equilibrium is a single-particle momentum distribution that is Gaussian. We find that the equilibrium properties of the system within the Nosé–Hoover dynamics coincides with that within the canonical ensemble. Moreover, starting from out-of-equilibrium initial conditions, the average kinetic energy of the system relaxes to its target value over a size-independent timescale. However, quite surprisingly, our results indicate that under the same conditions and with only long-range interactions present in the system, the momentum distribution relaxes to its Gaussian form in equilibrium over a scale that diverges with the system size. On adding short-range interactions, the relaxation is found to occur over a timescale that has a much weaker dependence on system size. This system-size dependence of the timescale vanishes when only short-range interactions are present in the system. An implication of such an ultra-slow relaxation when only long-range interactions are present in the system is that macroscopic observables other than the average kinetic energy when estimated in the Nosé–Hoover dynamics may take an unusually long time to relax to its canonical equilibrium value. Our work underlines the crucial role that interactions play in deciding the equivalence between Nosé–Hoover and canonical equilibrium.

Evolution from few- to many-body physics in one-dimensional Fermi systems: One- and two-body density matrices and particle-partition entanglement

We study the evolution from few- to many-body physics of fermionic systems in one spatial dimension with attractive pairwise interactions. We determine the detailed form of the momentum distribution, the structure of the one-body density matrix, and the pairing properties encoded in the two-body density matrix. From the low- and high-momentum scaling behavior of the single-particle momentum distribution we estimate the speed of sound and Tan's contact, respectively. Both quantities are found to be in agreement with previous calculations. Based on our calculations of the one-body density matrices, we also present results for the particle-partition entanglement entropy, for which we find a logarithmic dependence on the total particle number.

Single Particle Momentum Distributions for Three-Bosons in Two and Three Dimensions and Dimensional Crossover

In this paper, we revise our main results involving the single particle momentum distribution of bosonic trimer states in two and three dimensions. A summary table makes easier the comparison between the matrix elements and the different terms of the momentum distributions. We also show a practical method to continuously interpolate between different dimensions.

Vlasov equation for Schwinger pair production in a time-dependent electric field

Schwinger pair creation in a purely time-dependent electric field can be described through a quantum Vlasov equation describing the time evolution of the single-particle momentum distribution function. This equation exists in two versions, both of which can be derived by a Bogoliubov transformation, but whose equivalence is not obvious. For the spinless case, we show here that the difference between these two evolution equations corresponds to the one between the "in-out" and "in-in" formalisms. We give a simple relation between the asymptotic distribution functions generated by the two Vlasov equations. As examples we discuss the Sauter and single-soliton field cases.

On the non-Gaussian corrections in the self dynamics of semi-quantum fluids

This paper is devoted to the study of the limits of the well-known Gaussian approximation in the self dynamics of quantum systems. After introducing the basic formalism and shortly reviewing the methods used in classical systems to apply corrections to the Gaussian approximation, an extension to quantum fluids is devised, with a particular interest in the so-called semi-quantum fluids, i.e. those in which the single particle momentum distribution approximately retains its Maxwellian form (but not its classical width). In this case a detailed correction scheme for both the short- and the long-time behaviors of the intermediate scattering function is proposed. Subsequently, a practical test of this approach is performed on a high resolution neutron scattering spectrum derived from liquid parahydrogen at T=14.1K. Extracting the spectral deviations from the Gaussian approximation with the help of an accurate centroid molecular dynamics simulation, we are able to describe them precisely and to derive the first two correction coefficients in this system by means of a simple fitting procedure. These experimental findings confirm the validity of our approach and show that a description of the self dynamics beyond the Gaussian approximation is necessary even in simple liquids affected by mild quantum effects.

Single-Particle Momentum Distributions for Bosonic Trimer States in Two and Three Dimensions

For a system formed by three bosons interacting by a pairwise zero-range potential we show how the functional form of the asymptotic momentum distribution changes drastically when passing from bi (2D) to tridimensional (3D) regime, mainly affected by the absence/presence of the Efimov effect in 2D/3D. The spectator functions and the momentum distribution are calculated analytically for both regimes.

Single-particle momentum distributions of Efimov states in mixed-species systems

We solve the three-body bound state problem in three dimensions for mass imbalanced systems of two identical bosons and a third particle in the universal limit where the interactions are assumed to be of zero-range. The system displays the Efimov effect and we use the momentum-space wave equation to derive formulas for the scaling factor of the Efimov spectrum for any mass ratio assuming either that two or three of the two-body subsystems have a bound state at zero energy. We consider the single-particle momentum distribution analytically and numerically and analyse the tail of the momentum distribution to obtain the three-body contact parameter. Our finding demonstrate that the functional form of the three-body contact term depends on the mass ratio and we obtain an analytic expression for this behavior. To exemplify our results, we consider mixtures of Lithium with either two Caesium or Rubium atoms which are systems of current experimental interest.

Derivation of transient relativistic fluid dynamics from the Boltzmann equation for a multi-component system

We derive the non-equilibrium single-particle momentum distribution function of a hadron resonance gas. We then study the effects that this newly derived expression can have in the freeze-out description of fluid-dynamical models of heavy ion collisions and compare it with the method traditionally employed, the 14-moment approximation.

Proton vibrational dynamics in lithium imide investigated through incoherent inelastic and Compton neutron scattering

In the present study we report neutron spectroscopic measurements on polycrystalline lithium imide, namely, incoherent inelastic neutron scattering at 20 K, and neutron Compton scattering from 10 K up to room temperature. From the former technique the H-projected density of phonon states up to 100 meV is derived, while the latter works out the spherically averaged single-particle (i.e., H, Li, and N) momentum distributions and, from this, the mean kinetic energies. Only for H at the lowest investigated temperature, non-gaussian components of its momentum distribution are detected. However, these components do not seem directly connected to the system anharmonicity, being fully compatible with the simple N-H bond anisotropy. Neutron data are also complemented by ab initio lattice dynamics simulations, both harmonic and, at room temperature, carried out in the framework of the so-called "quantum colored noise thermostat" method. The single-particle mean kinetic energies in lithium imide as a function of temperature show a quite peculiar behavior at the moment not reproduced by ab initio lattice dynamics methods, at least as far as H and Li are concerned. As matter of fact, neither their low temperature values nor their temperature trends can be precisely explained in terms of standard phonon calculations.

Nonthermal fixed points, vortex statistics, and superfluid turbulence in an ultracold Bose gas

Nonthermal fixed points of the dynamics of a dilute degenerate Bose gas far from thermal equilibrium are analyzed in two and three spatial dimensions. Universal power-law distributions, previously found within a nonperturbative quantum-field theoretical approach and recently shown to be related to vortical dynamics and superfluid turbulence [Phys. Rev. B 84, 020506(R) (2011)], are studied in detail. The results imply an interpretation of the scaling behavior in terms of independent vortex excitations of the superfluid and show that the statistics of topological excitations can be described in the framework of wave turbulence. The particular scaling exponents observed in the single-particle momentum distributions are found to be consistent with irreversibility as well as conservation laws obeyed by the wave interactions. Moreover, long-wavelength acoustic excitations of the vortex-bearing condensate, driven by vortex annihilations, are found to follow a nonthermal power law. Considering vortex correlations in a statistical model, the long-time departure from the nonthermal fixed point is related to vortex-antivortex pairing. The studied nonthermal fixed points are accessible in cold-gas experiments. The results shed light on fundamental aspects of superfluid turbulence and have strong potential implications for related phenomena, e.g., in early-universe inflation or quark-gluon plasma dynamics.

Anisotropic superfluidity in the two-species polar Fermi gas

We study the superfluid pairing in a two-species gas of heteronuclear fermionic molecules with equal density. The interplay of the isotropic s-wave interaction and anisotropic long-range dipolar interaction reveals rich physics. We find that the single-particle momentum distribution has a characteristic ellipsoidal shape that can be reasonably represented by a deformation parameter $\alpha$ defined similarly to the normal phase. Interesting momentum-dependent features of the order parameter are identified. We calculate the critical temperatures of both the singlet and triplet superfluid, suggesting a possible pairing symmetry transition by tuning the s-wave or dipolar interaction strength.

RENORMALIZED BOSONS AND FERMIONS

Correlated Density Matrix (CDM) theory permits formal analyses of microscopic properties of strongly correlated quantum fluids and liquids at nonzero temperatures. Equilibrium properties, thermodynamic potentials, correlation and structure functions can be studied formally as well as numerically within the CDM algorithm. Here we provide the essential building blocks for studying the radial distribution function and the single-particle momentum distribution of the ingredients of the quantum systems. We focus on the statistical properties of correlated fluids and introduce the concept of renormalized bosons and fermions. These entities carry the main statistical features of the correlated systems such as liquid 4 He through their specific dependence on temperature, particle number density, and wavenumber encapsulated in their effective masses. The formalism is developed for systems of bosons and of fermions. Numerical calculations for fluid 4 He in the normal phase demonstrate the power of the renormalization concept. The formalism is further extended to analyze the Bose-Einstein condensed phases and gives a microscopic understanding of Tisza's two-fluid model for the normal and superfluid density components.