Modeling nuclear weak-interaction processes with relativistic energy density functionals

Nuclear Energy Density Functionals Constrained by Low-Energy QCD

A microscopic framework of nuclear energy density functionals is reviewed, which establishes a direct relation between low-energy QCD and nuclear structure, synthesizing effective field theory methods and principles of density functional theory. Guided by two closely related features of QCD in the lowenergy limit: a) in-medium changes of vacuum condensates, and b) spontaneous breaking of chiral...

Spectroscopic properties of nuclear skyrme energy density functionals.

We address the question of how to improve the agreement between theoretical nuclear single-particle energies (SPEs) and observations. Empirically, in doubly magic nuclei, the SPEs can be deduced from spectroscopic properties of odd nuclei that have one more or one less neutron or proton. Theoretically, bare SPEs, before being confronted with observations, must be corrected for the effects of th...

Astrophysical Weak-interaction Processes and Nuclear Effective Field Theory

Low-energy nuclear weak-interaction processes play important roles in many astrophysical contexts, and effective field theory is believed to be a highly useful framework for describing these processes in a model-independent manner. I present a brief account of the basic features of the nuclear effective theory approach, and some examples of actual calculations carried out in this method. Invite...

Neutron drops and Skyrme energy-density functionals.

The J =0 ground state of a drop of 8 neutrons and the lowest 1/2 and 3/2 states of 7-neutron drops, all in an external well, are computed accurately with variational and Green's function Monte Carlo methods for a Hamiltonian containing the Argonne v18 two-nucleon and Urbana IX three-nucleon potentials. These states are also calculated using Skyrme-type energy-density functionals. Commonly used ...

Configuration interactions constrained by energy density functionals