Particle-number projection in finite-temperature mean-field approximations to level densities

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1 Particle-number projection in finite-temperature mean-field approximations to level densities Paul Fanto (Yale University) Motivation Finite-temperature mean-field theory for level densities Particle-number projection in the finite-temperature HartreeFock-Bogoliubov approximation with time-reversal symmetry Benchmarking mean-field results against shell model Monte Carlo calculations in heavy nuclei Symmetry restoration in Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov theory without time-reversal symmetry Conclusions and outlook 6th Workshop on Nuclear Level Density and Gamma Strength, Oslo 207.

2 Motivation The nuclear level density is a crucial input to the Hauser-Feshbach theory of compound nucleus reactions. Applications in astrophysical reaction rate calculations, nuclear technologies, etc. Tc (E, J, ) = X Tcf (E, J, ) + known levels Z def transmission coefficients X Rauscher and Thielemann Tcf (E, J, ) (Ef, Jf, f ) At. Data Nucl. Data. Table (2000) Jf, f level density Theoretical level densities are necessary in cases where no experimental data exists, e.g., nuclei far from stability. Theoretical level densities are crucial for interpretation of experimental results: fluctuation properties of neutron resonances, normalization and spin distribution in Oslo method. Koehler et al., PRC (203) gamma strength function h fxl (E )E 2 + f (XL)i = (E, J, ) Average partial radiation width 2

3 Configuration-interaction (CI) shell-model approach Phenomenological level density (LD) models: back-shifted Fermi gas, GilbertCameron constant temperature Advantage: simple analytical expressions. Disadvantage: parameters must be adjusted for each nucleus to fit data well. It is useful to predict LD microscopically from underlying nuclear interactions. Thermodynamic approach to state density: canonical entropy heat capacity i = µi grand-canonical partition function CI shell model approach provides an accurate framework for calculating the LD in the presence of correlations. Limited by the combinatorial growth of the many-particle model space dimension. 3

4 Finite-temperature mean-field theory Basic idea: replace the two-body nucleon-nucleon interaction with an average single-particle potential. Hartree-Fock (HF) and Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov (HFB) theory: the meanfield potential is derived self consistently with respect to the single-particle density matrix ρ and pairing tensor κ. 0 X X X Vˆ = v ijkl ai aj al ak! Vˆmf = ( )ij ai aj ( )ij a i a j 4 2 ij ij ijkl HF ij = D a j ai E ( )ij a i a j A HFB ij = haj ai i Relations between ρ, κ, Γ, and Δ are derived variationally by minimizing the grand thermodynamic potential. Advantage: thermodynamic quantities are calculated easily. Challenges: Correlations beyond the mean-field are neglected. Mean-field solutions often break symmetries of the underlying Hamiltonian (e.g., rotational symmetry in the deformed phase of HF/HFB, 4 particle-number conservation in the pairing phase of HFB).

5 Benchmarking the mean-field level density Alhassid, Bertsch, Gilbreth, Nakada, PRC (206) The level density can be calculated exactly in the shell model Monte Carlo (SMMC, c.f. Yoram s talk). However, this method requires more computational effort than mean-field theory, as well as good-sign interactions. Recent review: Alhassid, arxiv:607:0870 in a review book ed. K.D. Launey Mean-field theory is widely used, but its inherent accuracy vs. exact methods is not well understood. Benchmark: compare the mean-field results against SMMC results using the same model space and the same interaction. Model space for rare-earth nuclei: protons: shell plus f7/2, neutrons: shell plus 0h/2 and g9/2. Hamiltonian: Woods-Saxon plus spin orbit, pairing plus multipolemultipole interactions. Alhassid, Fang, Nakada, PRL (2008) 5

6 Ensemble reduction The HF and HFB potentials are determined in the grand-canonical ensemble, but the LD is defined within the microcanonical ensemble. Two-step process:. grand-canonical > canonical. 2. canonical > microcanonical. Focus of this work is on step. Step 2. (E) p Step. esc 2 T 2 C Usual method: saddle-point approximation of the integral in Step. Discrete Gaussian (DG) approximation: modify saddle point correction ζ to account for 2the fact that N is a discrete integer. 3 = X Ni0,Nj0 i,j=p,n 4 exp 2 (Ni0 i,j Ni )(Nj0 Nj ) 5 Alhassid et al. PRC, (206). Problems with DG: oscillations at low temperatures and computational effort. 6

7 Particle-number projection and symmetry restoration Rossignoli and Ring, Ann. Phys. (99) Approximate canonical partition function found by taking trace of mean-field Gibbs operator e Hˆ mf over only N particle-states. N = (Np, Nn), Hmf is the grand-canonical mean-field Hamiltonian. This is known as particle-number projection (PNP) after variation. Particle-number projection is given by Fourier sum in a finite model space of Ns single-particle states. Ns h i µn X e 2 n ˆ ˆ ˆ ˆ = Zc Tr PˆN e Hmf = e i n N Tr ei n N e (Hmf µn ) n Ns Ns n= HF is particle-number-conserving, so evaluation of above trace is straightforward. In the HFB, particle-number conservation is broken in the pairing phase. PNP is equivalent to symmetry restoration. The same techniques can be applied to restoration of rotational symmetry in deformed nuclei. To find LD: obtain canonical thermal energy and canonical entropy from Zc by the usual thermodynamic relations. Sc = Ec + ln Zc 7

8 Particle-number projection in HFB with time-reversal symmetry PF, Alhassid, and Bertsch, arxiv: (206), accepted to PRC. General formula for projection trace in HFB involves a phase ambiguity for each term in the Fourier sum. Rossignoli and Ring, (993) If the HFB energies come in degenerate time-reversed pairs, then the traces in the Fourier sum can be evaluated unambiguously by matrix algebra in the single-particle space This is possible because using only half the single-particle states fully defines the operators of interest. q.p. operators = ˆ HF B H Group property h ) Tr e k,..., k N /2, s k,..., k Ns /2 ˆ = E + const. µn e i n ˆ i nn e ˆ) µn Reduced k Bogoliubov k transformation = W ak a k ˆ = W N W + Ns /2 N (W N W ) e ˆ HF B (H E i =e C(, n ) / ( )n det + W ei nn We E 8

9 50Sm: transitional nucleus, deformed in the ground state : PNP - - -: DG o: SMMC Reduction of mean-field state density in deformed phase because mean-field theory describes only the intrinsic states, not rotational bands. Unphysical negative mean-field entropy at low temperatures due to violation of particle-number 9 conservation in HFB.

10 Finite-temperature HF and BCS: 62Dy and 48Sm : PNP o: Open circles: SMMC 62Dy: strong deformation, weak pairing, HF. See even more clearly enhancement in SMMC due to inclusion of rotational bands. 48Sm: spherical, BCS. Unphysical reduction of mean-field entropy causes reduction of mean-field state density in pairing phase. 0

11 Low-temperature limit of the HFB Why does the mean-field approximate canonical entropy become negative below the pairing phase transition? At sufficiently low temperatures, the system is in the HFB ground state, which does not conserve particle number. i= X N0 N 0 ) S c = E0 N0 i 2 N 0 < 2 ln Zc = ln[ N ] < 0 Can extend this logic to higher temperatures in the pairing phase. This is a fundamental limitation on symmetry restoration projection after variation in finite-temperature mean-field theory.

12 Projection in general HFB using pfaffians Robledo, PRC (2009). Bertsch and Robledo, PRL (202). Fanto, in preparation. Consider cases in which the HFB Hamiltonian breaks time-reversal symmetry, e.g., for odd nuclei and triaxial nuclei. The general symmetry projection formula involves an undetermined phase in traces in Fourier sum. This phase problem can be circumvented by a new formula involving the pfaffian: the square root of a determinant of a skew-symmetric matrix with a well-defined phase. This new formula allows symmetry restoration projection after variation for any HFB Hamiltonian. Highlights of the formula: h Tr e ˆ i nn e ˆ HF B (H (det T22 ) 2 / h ei ˆ) µn ˆ nn i T = / (det T22 ) i/ pf h i T T2 2 pf T2 T22 T i =W e T2 T22 V U ei n V V e We T ( + T22 ) T T2 T22 + T22 i nn T V V U V n U V V U E W = full Bogoliubov transformation, 2Ns dimensional 2

13 Validating the pfaffian method: particle-number projection in 50Sm Preliminary : pfaffian PNP +: time-reversal PNP Work in progress: application to a model with broken timereversal symmetry in the HFB. 3

14 Conclusions The finite-temperature mean-field approximation works well for the calculation of level densities at excitation energies above the shape or pairing transitions. At energies below the shape transition, the mean-field state density is reduced due to the lack of rotational bands. At energies below the pairing transition in the HFB, the mean-field density is further reduced because of the inherent violation of particle-number conservation in the grand-canonical ensemble. We introduce a particle-number projection formula in the finite-temperature HFB approximation with time-reversal symmetry without a destructive phase ambiguity. We introduce and validate a formula for symmetry restoration projection for the most general HFB Hamiltonian without a destructive phase ambiguity. Outlook Develop variation after projection methods to avoid negative entropies at low temperatures. Spin dependence of level density in finite-temperature mean-field theory. 4

15 Finite-temperature HF and BCS: 62Dy and 48Sm 62Dy: 48Sm: strong deformation, weak pairing. spherical, BCS Esebbag and Egido, Nucl. Phys. A (993). H. Flocard, Les Houches LXXIII (200) Rossignoli and Ring, DG and DG2 refer to different ways of DG: calculate derivatives : PNP - - -: Red dashed: DG -.-.-:Blue dashed-dotted: DG2 o :Open circles: SMMC ij D ij ( Ni ) 2 E ij

16 State density vs. level density: state density counts 2J+ degenerate states for ea level density (E) = ( M =0 (E) even-mass nuclei M =/2 (E) odd-mass nuclei ρ(e) = state density

17 E E = 0 N = 0 0 E 0 particle operators

18 50Sm: transitional nucleus deformed in the ground state : PNP -.-.-: DG o: SMMC Reduction of mean-field entropy/state density in deformed phase because mean-field theory describes only the intrinsic states, not rotational bands Unphysical negative mean-field entropy at low temperatures: due to violation of number conservation in HFB. 8