Correlations and realistic interactions in doubly closed shell nuclei

We review the latest variational calculations of the ground state properties of doubly closed shell nuclei, from $^{12}$C to $^{208}$Pb, with semirealistic and realistic two- and three-nucleon interactions. The studies are carried on within the framework of the correlated basis function theory and integral equations technique, with state dependent correlations having central and tensor components. We report results for the ground state energy, one- and two-body densities and static structure functions. For $^{16}$O and $^{40}$Ca we use modern interactions and find that the accuracy of the method is comparable to that attained in nuclear matter with similar hamiltonians, giving nuclei underbound by $\sim$2 MeV/A. The computed Coulomb sums are in complete agreement with the latest analysis of the experimental data.Comment: 11 Latex pages, 2 ps figures. Talk delivered at the 10th International Conference on Recent Progress In Many-Body Theories, Seattle 1999. To appear in "Advances in Quantum Many-Body Theory", vol.3, World Scientifi

Ground state of medium-heavy doubly-closed shell nuclei in correlated basis function theory

The correlated basis function theory is applied to the study of medium-heavy doubly closed shell nuclei with different wave functions for protons and neutrons and in the jj coupling scheme. State dependent correlations including tensor correlations are used. Realistic two-body interactions of Argonne and Urbana type, together with three-body interactions have been used to calculate ground state energies and density distributions of the 12C, 16O, 40Ca, 48Ca and 208Pb nuclei.Comment: Latex 10 pages, 3 Tables, 10 Figure

Renormalized Fermi hypernetted chain approach in medium-heavy nuclei

The application of the Correlated basis function theory and of the Fermi hypernetted chain technique, to the description of the ground state of medium-heavy nuclei is reviewed. We discuss how the formalism, originally developed for symmetric nuclear matter, should be changed in order to describe finite nuclear systems, with different number of protons and neutrons. This approach allows us to describe doubly closed shell nuclei by using microscopic nucleon-nucleon interactions. We presents results of numerical calculations done with two-nucleon interactions of Argonne type,implemented with three-body forces of Urbana type. Our results regard ground-state energies, matter, charge and momentum distributions, natural orbits, occupation numbers, quasi-hole wave functions and spectroscopic factors of 12C, 16O, 40Ca, 48Ca and 208Pb nuclei.Comment: 127 Pages, 37 figures, Accepted for publication in Physics Report

Looking for signals beyond the neutrino Standard Model

Any new neutrino physics at the TeV scale must include a suppression mechanism to keep its contribution to light neutrino masses small enough. We review some seesaw model examples with weakly broken lepton number, and comment on the expected effects at large colliders and in neutrino oscillations.Comment: LaTeX 10 pages, 9 PS figures. Contribution to the Proceedings of the XXXI International School of Theoretical Physics "Matter To The Deepest" Ustron, Poland, September 5-11, 2007. Typos correcte

Short-range Correlations in a CBF description of closed-shell nuclei

The Correlated Basis Function theory (CBF) provides a theoretical framework to treat on the same ground mean-field and short-range correlations. We present, in this report, some recent results obtained using the CBF to describe the ground state properties of finite nuclear systems. Furthermore we show some results for the excited state obtained with a simplified model based on the CBF theory.Comment: 10 latex pages plus 6 uuencoded figure

Enhanced graphene nonlinear response through geometrical plasmon focusing

We propose a simple approach to couple light into graphene plasmons and focus these excitations at focal spots of a size determined by the plasmon wavelength, thus producing high optical field enhancement that boosts the nonlinear response of the material. More precisely, we consider a graphene structure in which incident light is coupled to its plasmons at the carbon edges and subsequently focused on a spot of size comparable to the plasmon wavelength. We observe large confinement of graphene plasmons, materializing in small, intense focal spots, in which the extraordinary nonlinear response of this material leads to relatively intense harmonic generation. This result shows the potential of plasmon focusing in suitably edged graphene structures to produce large field confinement and nonlinear response without involving elaborated nanostructuring.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Production of Single Heavy Charged Leptons at a Linear Collider

A sequential fourth generation of quarks and leptons is allowed by precision electroweak constraints if the mass splitting between the heavy quarks is between 50 and 80 GeV. Although heavy quarks can be easily detected at the LHC, it is very difficult to detect a sequential heavy charged lepton, L, due to large backgrounds. Should the L mass be above 250 GeV, it can not be pair-produced at a 500 GeV ILC. We calculate the cross section for the one-loop process e+e- -> L tau. Although the cross section is small, it may be detectable. We also consider contributions from the two Higgs doublet model and the Randall-Sundrum model, in which case the cross section can be substantially higher.Comment: 14 pages, 7 figure