Density Matrix Renormalization Group and the Nuclear Shell Model

We describe the use of the Density Matrix Renormalization Group method as a means of approximately solving large-scale nuclear shell-model problems. We focus on an angular-momentum-conserving variant of the method and report test results for the nucleus $^{48}Cr$. The calculation is able to reproduce both the ground state energy and the energy of the first excited state, by diagonalizing matrices much smaller than those of the full shell model.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures; To appears in Phys. Rev.

Exact solutions for pairing interactions

The exact solution of the BCS pairing Hamiltonian was found by Richardson in 1963. While little attention was paid to this exactly solvable model in the remainder of the 20th century, there was a burst of work at the beginning of this century focusing on its applications in different areas of quantum physics. We review the history of this exact solution and discuss recent developments related to the Richardson-Gaudin class of integrable models, focussing on the role of these various models in nuclear physics.Comment: 14 pages, 2 figures, chapter in "Fifty Years of Nuclear BCS", eds. R.A. Broglia and V.Zelevinsk

The Density Matrix Renormalization Group and the Nuclear Shell Model

We summarize recent efforts to develop an angular-momentum-conserving variant of the Density Matrix Renormalization Group method into a practical truncation strategy for large-scale shell model calculations of atomic nuclei. Following a brief description of the key elements of the method, we report the results of test calculations for $^{48}$Cr and $^{56}$Ni. In both cases we consider nucleons limited to the 2p-1f shell and interacting via the KB3 interaction. Both calculations produce a high level of agreement with the exact shell-model results. Furthermore, and most importantly, the fraction of the complete space required to achieve this high level of agreement goes down rapidly as the size of the full space grows

Structure of the number projected BCS wave function

We study the structure of the number projected BCS (PBCS) wave function in the particle-hole basis, displaying its similarities with coupled clusters theory (CCT). The analysis of PBCS together with several modifications suggested by the CCT wave function is carried out for the exactly solvable Richardson model involving a pure pairing hamiltonian acting in a space of equally-spaced doubly-degenerate levels. We point out the limitations of PBCS to describe the non-superconducting regime and suggest possible avenues for improvement.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures. To be published in Phys. Rev.

The Density Matrix Renormalization Group in Nuclear Physics: A Status Report

We report on the current status of recent efforts to develop the Density Matrix Renormalization Group method for use in large-scale nuclear shell-model calculations.Comment: 6 pages, 8 figures, $^*$ Talk presented at the XXVI$^{th}$ Symposium on Nuclear Physics, 6 pages, 8 figures, Talk presented at the XXVIth Symposium on Nuclear Physics,6-9 January 2003, Taxco, Mexic

Density Matrix Renormalization Group study of 48^{48}Cr and 56^{56}Ni

We discuss the development of an angular-momentum-conserving variant of the Density Matrix Renormalization Group (DMRG) method for use in large-scale shell-model calculations of atomic nuclei and report a first application of the method to the ground state of $^{56}$Ni and improved results for $^{48}$Cr. In both cases, we see a high level of agreement with the exact results. A comparison of the two shows a dramatic reduction in the fraction of the space required to achieve accuracy as the size of the problem grows.Comment: 4 pages. Published in PRC Rapi