A new Skyrme interaction with improved spin-isospin properties

A correct determination of the spin-isospin properties of the nuclear effective interaction should lead, among other improvements, to an accurate description of the Gamow-Teller Resonance (GTR). These nuclear excitations impact on a variety of physical processes: from the response in charge-exchange reactions of nuclei naturally present in the Earth, to the description of the stellar nucleosynthesis, and of the pre-supernova explosion core-collapse evolution of massive stars in the Universe. A reliable description of the GTR provides also stringent tests for neutrinoless double-$\beta$ decay calculations. We present a new Skyrme interaction as accurate as previous forces in the description of finite nuclei and of uniform matter properties around saturation density, and that account well for the GTR in ${}^{48}$Ca, ${}^{90}$Zr and ${}^{208}$Pb, the Isobaric Analog Resonance and the Spin Dipole Resonance in ${}^{90}$Zr and ${}^{208}$Pb.Comment: Predictions on the IAR and SDR and comparison with the SGII interaction for the GTRs where adde

Tensor correlation, pairing interaction and deformation in Ne isotopes and Ne hypernuclei

We study tensor and pairing effects on the quadruple deformation of neon isotopes based on a deformed Skyrme-Hartree-Fock model with BCS approximation for the pairing channel. We extend the Skyrme-Hartree-Fock formalism for the description of single- and double-lambda hypernuclei adopting two different hyperon-nucleon interactions. It is found that the interplay of pairing and tensor interactions is crucial to derive the deformations in several neon isotopes. Especially, the shapes of $^{26,30}$Ne are studied in details in comparisons with experimentally observed shapes. Furthermore the deformations of the hypernuclei are compared with the corresponding neon isotopic cores in the presence of tensor force. We find the same shapes with somewhat smaller deformations for single $\Lambda$-hypernuclei compared with their core deformations. It is also pointed out that the latest version of hyperon interaction, the ESC08b model, having a deeper $\Lambda$ potential makes smaller deformations for hypernuclei than those of another NSC97f model.Comment: 13 pages, 5 figures, Physical Review C 2013 in pres

Charge Exchange Spin-Dipole Excitations of 90Zr and 208Pb and Neutron Matter Equation of State

Charge exchange spin-dipole (SD) excitations of $^{90}$Zr and $^{208}$Pb are studied by using a Skyrme Hartree-Fock(HF) + Random Phase approximation (RPA). The calculated spin-dipole strength distributions are compared with experimental data obtained by $^{90}$Zr (p,n) $^{90}$Nb and $^{90}$Zr (n,p) $^{90}$ Nb reactions. The model-independent SD sum rule values of various Skyrme interactions are studied in comparison with the experimental values in order to determine the neutron skin thickness of $^{90}$Zr. The pressure of the neutron matter equation of state (EOS) and the nuclear matter symmetry energy are discussed in terms of the neutron skin thickness and peak energies of SD strength distributions.Comment: 26pages, 10figure

Designing optimal discrete-feedback thermodynamic engines

Feedback can be utilized to convert information into useful work, making it an effective tool for increasing the performance of thermodynamic engines. Using feedback reversibility as a guiding principle, we devise a method for designing optimal feedback protocols for thermodynamic engines that extract all the information gained during feedback as work. Our method is based on the observation that in a feedback-reversible process the measurement and the time-reversal of the ensuing protocol both prepare the system in the same probabilistic state. We illustrate the utility of our method with two examples of the multi-particle Szilard engine.Comment: 15 pages, 5 figures, submitted to New J. Phy

Information heat engine: converting information to energy by feedback control

In 1929, Leo Szilard invented a feedback protocol in which a hypothetical intelligence called Maxwell's demon pumps heat from an isothermal environment and transduces it to work. After an intense controversy that lasted over eighty years; it was finally clarified that the demon's role does not contradict the second law of thermodynamics, implying that we can convert information to free energy in principle. Nevertheless, experimental demonstration of this information-to-energy conversion has been elusive. Here, we demonstrate that a nonequilibrium feedback manipulation of a Brownian particle based on information about its location achieves a Szilard-type information-energy conversion. Under real-time feedback control, the particle climbs up a spiral-stairs-like potential exerted by an electric field and obtains free energy larger than the amount of work performed on it. This enables us to verify the generalized Jarzynski equality, or a new fundamental principle of "information-heat engine" which converts information to energy by feedback control.Comment: manuscript including 7 pages and 4 figures and supplementary material including 6 pages and 8 figure

Evolution of deformations in medium-mass nuclei

Evolution of quadrupole deformations in $sd$ and $pf$ shell nuclei with mass A= 18$\sim$56 is studied by using deformed Skyrme Hartree-Fock (HF) model with pairing correlations. We point out that the quadrupole deformations of the nuclei with the isospin T=0 and T=1 show strong mass number dependence as a clear manifestation of dynamical evolution of deformation in nuclear many-body systems. The competition between the deformation driving particle-vibration coupling and the closed shell structure is shown in a systematic study of the ratios between the proton and neutron deformations in nuclei with T=$|$T$_z|$=1. Calculated quadrupole and hexadecapole deformations are compared with shell model results and available experimental data. A relation between the skin thickness and the intrinsic Q$_2$ moments is also discussed.Comment: 26 pages, 8figure