Representation of the virtual space in extended systems – a correlation energy convergence study

We present an investigation of the convergence behaviour of the local second-order Møller-Plesset perturbation theory (MP2) correlation energy toward the canonical result for three insulating crystals with either projected atomic orbitals (PAOs) or various orthonormal representations of the virtual orbital space. Echoing recent results for finite molecular systems, we find that significantly fewer PAOs than localised orthonormal virtual orbitals are required to reproduce the canonical correlation energy. We find no clear-cut correlation between conventional measures of orbital locality and the ability of the representation to span the excitation space of local domains. We show that the PAOs of the reference unit cell span parts of the excitation space that can only be reached with distant local orthonormal virtual orbitals

An optimized chiral nucleon-nucleon interaction at next-to-next-to-leading order

We optimize the nucleon-nucleon interaction from chiral effective field theory at next-to-next- to-leading order. The resulting new chiral force NNLOopt yields \chi^2 \approx 1 per degree of freedom for laboratory energies below approximately 125 MeV. In the A = 3, 4 nucleon systems, the contributions of three-nucleon forces are smaller than for previous parametrizations of chiral interactions. We use NNLOopt to study properties of key nuclei and neutron matter, and demonstrate that many aspects of nuclear structure can be understood in terms of this nucleon-nucleon interaction, without explicitly invoking three-nucleon forces.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figure

Computational Nuclear Physics and Post Hartree-Fock Methods

We present a computational approach to infinite nuclear matter employing Hartree-Fock theory, many-body perturbation theory and coupled cluster theory. These lectures are closely linked with those of chapters 9, 10 and 11 and serve as input for the correlation functions employed in Monte Carlo calculations in chapter 9, the in-medium similarity renormalization group theory of dense fermionic systems of chapter 10 and the Green's function approach in chapter 11. We provide extensive code examples and benchmark calculations, allowing thereby an eventual reader to start writing her/his own codes. We start with an object-oriented serial code and end with discussions on strategies for porting the code to present and planned high-performance computing facilities.Comment: 82 pages, to appear in Lecture Notes in Physics (Springer), "An advanced course in computational nuclear physics: Bridging the scales from quarks to neutron stars", M. Hjorth-Jensen, M. P. Lombardo, U. van Kolck, Editor

Linking morphological and molecular taxonomy for the identification of poultry house, soil, and nest dwelling mites in the Western Palearctic

Because of its ability to expedite specimen identification and species delineation, the barcode index number (BIN) system presents a powerful tool to characterize hyperdiverse invertebrate groups such as the Acari (mites). However, the congruence between BINs and morphologically recognized species has seen limited testing in this taxon. We therefore apply this method towards the development of a barcode reference library for soil, poultry litter, and nest dwelling mites in the Western Palearctic. Through analysis of over 600 specimens, we provide DNA barcode coverage for 35 described species and 70 molecular taxonomic units (BINs). Nearly 80% of the species were accurately identified through this method, but just 60% perfectly matched (1:1) with BINs. High intraspecific divergences were found in 34% of the species examined and likely reflect cryptic diversity, highlighting the need for revision in these taxa. These findings provide a valuable resource for integrative pest management, but also highlight the importance of integrating morphological and molecular methods for fine-scale taxonomic resolution in poorly-known invertebrate lineages

Variation in commercial sources of soybean meal influences the severity of enteritis in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.)

Soybean meal (SBM) is a potential alternative for the replacement of fishmeal in aquafeeds. In Atlantic salmon, however, dietary SBM causes an inflammation of the distal intestine, known as SBM-induced enteritis. The objective of the present study is to verify whether different (geographically spread) commercial sources of SBM yield contrasting inflammatory responses. To do so, six SBM batches from different origins were included in the Atlantic salmon diets at the level of 20%. After 4 weeks of feeding, the distal intestine of the salmon was sampled and scored by a semi-quantitative scoring system, which assessed six separated parameters, characterizing the extent of enteritis. The overall mean score as well as the score of the separate parameters varied between the different commercial sources of SBM included in the diet. The variation in SBM caused different degrees of disparity in the score of the separate parameters. The parameter that was most affected by the variation in the source of SBM was the disappearance of supranuclear vacuoles in enterocytes. In contrast, the increase in goblet cells showed the smallest variation between the different SBM sources. This study shows that different commercial sources of SBM can result in differences in the severity of SBM-induced enteritis in Atlantic salmo