Self-consistent Continuum Random Phase Approximation calculations with finite-range interactions

We present a technique which allows us to solve the Random Phase Approximation equations with finite-range interactions and treats the continuum part of the excitation spectrum without approximations. The interaction used in the Hartree-Fock calculations to generate the single particle basis is also used in the Continuum Random Phase Approximation calculations. We present results for the electric dipole and quadrupole excitations in the $^{16}$O, $^{22}$O, $^{24}$O, $^{40}$Ca, $^{48}$Ca and $^{52}$Ca nuclei. We compare our results with those of the traditional discrete Random Phase Approximation, with the continuum mean-field results and with the results obtained by a phenomenological approach. We study the relevance of the continuum, of the residual interaction and of the self-consistency. We also compare our results with the available total photoabsorption cross section data. We compare our photoabsorption cross section in $^4$He with that obtained by a calculation which uses a microscopic interaction.Comment: 25 pages, 14 figs., 4 tables, accepted for publication in Physical Review

Charge-exchange excitations with finite range interactions including tensor terms

We study charge-exchange excitations in doubly magic-nuclei by using a self-consistent Hartree-Fock plus Random Phase Approximation model. We use four Gogny-like finite-range interactions, two of them containing tensor forces. We investigate the effects of the various parts of the tensor forces in the two computational steps of our model, and we find that their presence is not negligible and improves the agreement with the experimental data.Comment: 17 pages, 5 figures, 8 table

Coulomb and spin-orbit interactions in random phase approximation calculations

We present a fully self-consistent computational framework composed by Hartree-Fock plus ran- dom phase approximation where the spin-orbit and Coulomb terms of the interaction are included in both steps of the calculations. We study the effects of these terms of the interaction on the random phase approximation calculations, where they are usually neglected. We carry out our investigation of excited states in spherical nuclei of oxygen, calcium, nickel, zirconium, tin and lead isotope chains. We use finite-range effective nucleon-nucleon interactions of Gogny type. The size of the effects we find is, usually, of few hundreds of keV. There are not simple approximations which can be used to simulate these effects since they strongly depend on all the variables related to the excited states, angular momentum, parity, excitation energy, isoscalar and isovector characters. Even the Slater approximation developed to account for the Coulomb exchange terms in Hartree-Fock is not valid in random phase approximation calculations.Comment: 14 pages, 5 figures; accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.

A study of self-consistent Hartree-Fock plus Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer calculations with finite-range interactions

In this work we test the validity of a Hartree-Fock plus Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer model in which a finite-range interaction is used in the two steps of the calculation by comparing the results obtained to those found in a fully self-consistent Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov calculations using the same interaction.Specifically, we consider the Gogny-type D1S and D1M forces. We study a wide range of spherical nuclei, far from the stability line, in various regions of the nuclear chart, from oxygen to tin isotopes. We calculate various quantities related to the ground state properties of these nuclei, such as binding energies, radii, charge and density distributions and elastic electron scattering cross sections. The pairing effects are studied by direct comparison with the Hartree-Fock results. Despite of its relative simplicity, in most of the cases, our model provides results very close to those of the Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov calculations, and it reproduces rather well the empirical evidences of pairing effects in the nuclei investigated.Comment: 28 pages, 13 figures. Accepted for publication in J. Phys.

Matter distribution and spin-orbit force in spherical nuclei

We investigate the possibility that some nuclei show density distributions with a depletion in the center, a semi-bubble structure, by using a Hartree-Fock plus Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer approach. We separately study the proton, neutron and matter distributions in 37 spherical nuclei mainly in the $s - d$ shell region. We found a relation between the semi-bubble structure and the energy splitting of spin-orbit partner single particle levels. The presence of semi-bubble structure reduces this splitting, and we study its consequences on the excitation spectrum of the nuclei under investigation by using a quasi-particle random-phase-approximation approach. The excitation energies of the low-lying $4^+$ states can be related to the presence of semi-bubble structure in nuclei.Comment: 15 pages, 7 tables, 11 figures. Version accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. C; the number of nuclei analysed has been reduced; some figure have bee redrawn, and a new figure and some references have been adde

Pygmy and giant electric dipole responses of medium-heavy nuclei in a self-consistent Random Phase Approximation approach with finite-range interaction

The pygmy dipole resonance (PDR) is studied in various medium-heavy nuclei by using a Gogny interaction in a self-consistent Hartree-Fock plus Random Phase Approximation method. We compare the details of the PDR structure with those of the giant dipole resonance (GDR). In the PDR protons and neutrons vibrate in phase, and the main contributions are given by particle-hole excitations involving the neutrons in excess. On the contrary, in the GDR protons and neutrons vibrate out of phase, and all the nucleons are involved in the excitation. The values of the parameters we used to define the collectivity of an excitation indicate that the PDR is less collective than the GDR. We also investigate the role of the residual interaction in the appearance of the PDR and we find a subtle interplay with the shell structure of the nucleus.Comment: 14 pages, 9 figures, 2 tables, to appear in Physical Review

Pairing in spherical nuclei: quasi-particle random phase approximation calculations with the Gogny interaction

We investigate the effects of the pairing in spherical nuclei. We use the same finite-range interaction of Gogny type in the three steps of our approach, Hartree-Fock, Bardeen, Cooper and Schrieffer, and quasi-particle random phase approximation calculations. We study electric and magnetic dipole, quadrupole and octuple excitations in oxygen and calcium isotopes and also in isotopes with 20 neutrons. We investigate the pairing effects on single particle energies and occupation probabilities, on the excitation energies, $B$-values and collectivity of low-lying states including the isoscalar electric dipole and the magnetic dipole excitations, and also the giant resonances. The inclusion of the pairing increases the values of the excitation energies in all the cases we have studied. In general, the effects of the pairing are too small to remarkably improve the agreement with the available experimental data.Comment: 18 pages, 6 tables, 8 figures, accepted for publication in Physical Review

Nuclear proton and neutron distributions in the detection of weak interacting massive particles

In the evaluation of weak interacting massive particles (WIMPs) detection rates, the WIMP-nucleus cross section is commonly described by using form factors extracted from charge distributions. In this work, we use different proton and neutron distributions taken from Hartree-Fock calculations. We study the effects of this choice on the total detection rates for six nuclei with different neutron excess, and taken from different regions of the nuclear chart. The use of different distributions for protons and neutrons becomes more important if isospin-dependent WIMP-nucleon interactions are considered. The need of distinct descriptions of proton and neutron densities reduces with the lowering of the detection energy thresholds.Comment: 15 pages, 10 figures 4 table

Evolution of the pygmy dipole resonance in nuclei with neutron excess

The electric dipole excitation of various nuclei is calculated with a Random Phase Approximation phenomenological approach. The evolution of the strength distribution in various groups of isotopes, oxygen, calcium, zirconium and tin, is studied. The neutron excess produces $E1$ strength in the low energy region. Indexes to measure the collectivity of the excitation are defined. We studied the behavior of proton and neutron transition densities to determine the isoscalar or isovector nature of the excitation. We observed that in medium-heavy nuclei the low-energy $E1$ excitation has characteristics rather different that those exhibited by the giant dipole resonance. This new type of excitation can be identified as pygmy dipole resonance.Comment: 14 pages, 12 figures, 7 table

Evolution of the pygmy dipole resonance in nuclei with neutron excess

The electric dipole excitation of various nuclei is calculated with a Random Phase Approximation phenomenological approach. The evolution of the strength distribution in various groups of isotopes, oxygen, calcium, zirconium and tin, is studied. The neutron excess produces $E1$ strength in the low energy region. Indexes to measure the collectivity of the excitation are defined. We studied the behavior of proton and neutron transition densities to determine the isoscalar or isovector nature of the excitation. We observed that in medium-heavy nuclei the low-energy $E1$ excitation has characteristics rather different that those exhibited by the giant dipole resonance. This new type of excitation can be identified as pygmy dipole resonance.Comment: 14 pages, 12 figures, 7 table