On the description of two-particle transfer in superfluid systems

Exact results of pair transfer probabilities for the Richardson model with equidistant or random level spacing are presented. The results are then compared either to particle-particle random phase approximation (ppRPA) in the normal phase or quasi-particle random phase approximation (QRPA) in the superfluid phase. We show that both ppRPA and QRPA are globally well reproducing the exact case although some differences are seen in the superfluid case. In particular the QRPA overestimates the pair transfer probabilities to excited states in the vicinity of the normal-superfluid phase transition, which might explain the difficult in detecting collective pairing phenomena as for example the Giant Pairing Vibration. The shortcoming of QRPA can be traced back to the breaking of particle number that is used to incorporate pairing. A method, based on direct diagonalization of the Hamiltonian in the space of two quasi-particle projected onto good particle number is shown to improve the description of pair transfer probabilities in superfluid systems.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figure

Quantal corrections to mean-field dynamics including pairing

Extending the stochastic mean-field model by including pairing, an approach is proposed for describing evolutions of complex many-body systems in terms of an ensemble of Time-Dependent Hartree-Fock Bogoliubov trajectories which is determined by incorporating fluctuations in the initial state. Non-linear evolution of the initial fluctuations provides an approximate description of quantal correlations and fluctuations of collective observables. Since the initial-state fluctuations break the particle-number symmetry, the dynamical description in which pairing correlations play a crucial role is greatly improved as compare to the mean-field evolution. The approach is illustrated for a system of particles governed by a pairing Hamiltonian.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures, To appear in Phys. Rev. C (Rapid communication

Pairing and specific heat in hot nuclei

The thermodynamics of pairing phase-transition in nuclei is studied in the canonical ensemble and treating the pairing correlations in a finite-temperature variation after projection BCS approach (FT-VAP). Due to the restoration of particle number conservation, the pairing gap and the specific heat calculated in the FT-VAP approach vary smoothly with the temperature, indicating a gradual transition from the superfluid to the normal phase, as expected in finite systems. We have checked that the predictions of the FT-VAP approach are very accurate when compared to the results obtained by an exact diagonalization of the pairing Hamiltonian. The influence of pairing correlations on specific heat is analysed for the isotopes $^{161,162}$Dy and $^{171,172}$Yb. It is shown that the FT-VAP approach, applied with a level density provided by mean field calculations and supplemented, at high energies, by the level density of the back-shifted Fermi gas model, can approximate reasonably well the main properties of specific heat extracted from experimental data. However, the detailed shape of the calculated specific heat is rather sensitive to the assumption made for the mean field.Comment: 10 pages, 12 figure

Thermodynamics of small superconductors with fixed particle number

The Variation After Projection approach is applied for the first time to the pairing hamiltonian to describe the thermodynamics of small systems with fixed particle number. The minimization of the free energy is made by a direct diagonalization of the entropy. The Variation After Projection applied at finite temperature provides a perfect reproduction of the exact canonical properties of odd or even systems from very low to high temperature.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

Nuclear incompressibility from spherical and deformed nuclei

We present an analysis based on the deformed Quasi Particle Random Phase Approximation, on top of a deformed Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov description of the ground state, aimed at studying the isoscalar monopole and quadrupole response in a deformed nucleus. This analysis is motivated by the need of understanding the coupling between the two modes and how it might affect the extraction of the nuclear incompressibility from the monopole distribution. After discussing this motivation, we present the main ingredients of our theoretical framework, and we show some results obtained with the SLy4 and SkM* interactions for the nucleus 24Mg

Multiphonon excitations and pygmy resonances in tin isotopes

We study, within a semiclassical coupled-channels approach, the possible effects of anharmonicities and non linearities on the excitation of the so-called pygmy resonances in several Sn isotopes and using two different Skyrme interactions. In the energy region of the pygmy resonances, there are a few low-lying multiphonon states. The question is whether they may contribute to the observed peak. Calculations show that the inelastic cross sections in the relevant energy region have an increase that varies from 3% to 21% depending on the isotope and on the kind of Skyrme force used. At the same time, we have studied the nature of the pygmy resonance state by means of a new criterion to establish whether this state can be considered as a collective one.Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia y FEDER FIS2008-04189 FPA2006-13807-C02-01Programa Consolider-Ingenio 2010 CSD2007-00042Junta de Andalucía P07-FQM-02894 FQM16

Pygmy resonances in Sn isotopes within a microscopic multiphonon approach

We study the pygmy resonances in Sn isotopes within a microscopic multiphonon approach which has been successfully applied to heavy ion reactions in recent years. In the energy region of the pygmy resonances there are a few low lying multiphonon states. The question is whether they may contribute to the observed peak. Calculations show that the inelastic cross sections in the relevant energy region have a conisderable increase depending on the isotope and on the kind of Skyrme force used

Recent applications of the subtracted SRPA approximation

The Second Random Phase Approximation (SRPA) is a natural extension of the Random Phase Approximation obtained by introducing more general excitation operators where two particle-two hole configurations, in addition to the one particle-one hole ones, are considered. Only in the last years, large-scale SRPA calculations, without usually employed approximations have been performed. The SRPA model corrected by a subtraction procedure designed to cure double counting issues and the related instabilities has been recently implemented and applied in the study of different physical cases. We report here on some of the most recent results obtained by using this model. In particular, results on the dipole strength 48Ca and on a systematic study of the isoscalar giant quadrupole resonance in spherical nuclei will be shown and discussed

Interplay between proton-neutron pairing and deformation in self-conjugated medium mass nuclei

We employ a model combining self-consistent mean-field and shell model techniques to study the competition between particle-like and proton-neutron pairing correlations in fp-shell even-even self-conjugate nuclei. Deformation effects are realistically and microscopically described. The resulting approach can give a precise description of pairing correlations and eventually treat the coexistence of different condensate formed of pairs with different total spin/ isospin. The standard BCS calculations are systematically compared with approaches including correlation effects beyond the independent quasi-particle picture. The competition between proton-neutron correlations in the isoscalar and isovector channels is also analyzed, as well as their dependence on the deformation properties