Spontaneous symmetry breaking and response functions

We study the quantum phase transition occurring in an infinite homogeneous system of spin 1/2 fermions in a non-relativistic context. As an example we consider neutrons interacting through a simple spin-spin Heisenberg force. The two critical values of the coupling strength—signaling the onset into the system of a finite magnetization and of the total magnetization, respectively—are found and their dependence upon the range of the interaction is explored. The spin response function of the system in the region where the spin-rotational symmetry is spontaneously broken is also studied. For a ferromagnetic interaction the spin response along the direction of the spontaneous magnetization occurs in the particle-hole continuum and displays, for not too large momentum transfers, two distinct peaks. The response along the direction orthogonal to the spontaneous magnetization displays instead, beyond a softened and depleted particle-hole continuum, a collective mode to be identified with a Goldstone boson of type II. Notably, the random phase approximation on a Hartree-Fock basis accounts for it, in particular for its quadratic—close to the origin—dispersion relation. It is shown that the Goldstone boson contributes to the saturation of the energy-weighted sum rule for ≈25% when the system becomes fully magnetized (that is in correspondence of the upper critical value of the interaction strength) and continues to grow as the interaction strength increases.     

Nuclear symmetry energy effects in finite nuclei and neutron star

Within a relativistic mean-field model with nonlinear isoscalar–isovector coupling, we explore the possibility of constraining the density dependence of nuclear symmetry energy from a systematic study of the neutron skin thickness of finite nuclei and neutron star properties. We find the present skin data supports a rather stiff symmetry energy at subsaturation densities that corresponds to a soft symmetry energy at supranormal densities. Correlation between the skin of ²⁰⁸Pb and the neutron star masses and radii with kaon condensation has been studied. We find that ²⁰⁸Pb skin estimate suggest star radii that reveals considerable model dependence. Thus precise measurements of neutron star radii in conjunction with skin thickness of heavy nuclei could provide significant constraint on the density dependence of symmetry energy.     

Chiral symmetry and light resonances in hot and dense matter

We present a study of the π π scattering amplitude in the σ and ρ channels at finite temperature and nuclear density within a chiral unitary framework. Meson resonances are dynamically generated in our approach, which allows us to analyze the behavior of their associated scattering poles when the system is driven towards chiral-symmetry restoration. Medium effects are incorporated in three ways: (a) by thermal corrections of the unitarized scattering amplitudes, (b) by finite nuclear-density effects associated to a renormalization of the pion decay constant, and complementarily (c) by extending our calculation of the scalar–isoscalar channel to account for finite nuclear-density and temperature effects in a microscopic many-body implementation of pion dynamics. Our results are discussed in connection with several phenomenological aspects relevant for nuclear-matter and heavy-ion collision experiments, such as ρ mass scaling versus broadening from dilepton spectra and chiral restoration signals in the σ channel. We also elaborate on the molecular nature of π π resonances.     

Finite temperature Casimir effect in spacetime with extra compactified dimensions

In this Letter, we derive the explicit exact formulas for the finite temperature Casimir force acting on a pair of parallel plates in the presence of extra compactified dimensions within the framework of Kaluza–Klein theory. Using the piston analysis, we show that at any temperature, the Casimir force due to massless scalar field with Dirichlet boundary conditions on the plates is always attractive and the effect of extra dimensions becomes stronger when the size or number of the extra dimensions increases. These properties are not affected by the explicit geometry and topology of the Kaluza–Klein space.     

Relativistic Hartree-Fock schemes and effect of self-consistency

A new effect of self-consistency in the relativistic Hartree-Fock (HF) approximation is studied by a simple model and a renormalized calculation. A comparison is made between two different HF schemes: one requiring self-consistency in the HF potential (scheme P) and the other in the baryon propagator (scheme BP). Our results show that scheme P is a good aproximation to scheme BP for the calculation of the baryon propagator and the self-consistency requirements make the results obtained by the two schemes closer to each other, because the self-consistency in scheme BP diminishes the continuum part of the spectral representation for the baryon propagator, while the self-consistency in scheme P yields a baryon propagator which approximates closely to the HF result contributed by the converged single particle part of the above spectral representation alone. Received: 12 March 1999 / Revised version: 6 September 1999     

Deducing the nuclear-matter incompressibility coefficient from data on isoscalar compression modes

Accurate assessment of the value of the incompressibility coefficient, K, of symmetric nuclear matter, which is directly related to the curvature of the equation of state (EOS), is needed to extend our knowledge of the EOS in the vicinity of the saturation point. We review the current status of K as determined from experimental data on isoscalar giant monopole and dipole resonances (compression modes) in nuclei, by employing the microscopic theory based on the random-phase approximation (RPA).     

Low-energy monopole and dipole response in nuclei at finite temperature

The multipole response of nuclei at temperatures T=0–2 MeV$T=0\text{–}2\text{MeV}$ is studied using a self-consistent finite-temperature RPA (random phase approximation) based on relativistic energy density functionals. Illustrative calculations are performed for the isoscalar monopole and isovector dipole modes and, in particular, the evolution of low-energy excitations with temperature is analyzed, including the modification of pygmy structures. Both for the monopole and dipole modes, in the temperature range T=1–2 MeV$T=1\text{–}2\text{MeV}$ additional transition strength appears at low energies due to thermal unblocking of single-particle orbitals close to the Fermi level. A concentration of dipole strength around 10 MeV excitation energy is predicted in ^60,62Ni. The principal effect of finite temperature on low-energy strength that is already present at zero temperature, e.g. in ⁶⁸Ni and ¹³²Sn, is the spreading of this structure to even lower energy and the appearance of states that correspond to thermally unblocked transitions.     

Bloch-Messiah theorem at finite temperature

The Bloch-Messiah theorem is extended to the thermal Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov (THFB) theory by making use of the thermo field dynamics. This enables us to define the correct order parameter describing the superconducting phase at finite temperature, and demonstrates consistency of the THFB formalism.Dedicated to Prof. Dr. H.J. Mang on the occasion of his 60th birthday     

Instabilities in nuclear matter and finite nuclei

Spinodal instability in nuclear matter and finite nuclei is investigated. This instability occurs in the low-density region of the phase diagram. The thermodynamical and dynamical analysis is based on Landau theory of Fermi liquids. It is shown that asymmetric nuclear matter can be characterized by a unique spinodal region, defined by the instability against isoscalar-like fluctuation, as in symmetric nuclear matter. Everywhere in this density region the system is stable against isovector-like fluctuations related to the species separation tendency. Nevertheless, this instability in asymmetric nuclear matter induces isospin distillation leading to a more symmetric liquid phase and a more neutron-rich gas phase.     

Renormalization of relativistic self-consistent Hartree-Fock approximation

The renormalization of the relativistic self-consistent Hartree-Fock approximation is restudied. It is shown that the renormalization procedure suggested by Bielajew and Serot can be greatly simplified and the renormalization achieved in a way no more complicated than that of the relativistic self-consistent Fock approximation, if the parameters in the counterterms are allowed to be density-dependent and the renormalization of the tadpole self-energy is treated appropriately. A transformation relation between the four- and three-dimensional representation of the baryon self-energy is presented and a self-consistent Hartree-Fock scheme different from that considered by Bielajew and Serot studied. The renormalized integral equations for the baryon self-energy which includes effects from the Dirac sea are reformulated in a three-dimensional form. Explicit expressions are derived. Received: 29 August 1997 / Revised version: 30 April 1998     

Landau-Ginzburg treatment of nuclear matter at finite temperature

Based on recent studies of the temperature dependence of the energy and specific heat of liquid nuclear matter, a phase transition is suggested at a temperature ∼ 0.85 MeV. We apply the Landau-Ginzburg theory to this transition and determine the behaviour of the energy and specific heat close to the critical temperature in the condensed phase. Received: 29 July 2000 / Accepted: 20 October 2000     

Phase transitions and perfectness of fluids in weakly coupled real scalar field theories

We calculate the ratio η/s$\eta /s$, the shear viscosity (η) to entropy density (s  ), which characterizes how perfect a fluid is, in weakly coupled real scalar field theories with different types of phase transitions. The mean-field results of the η/s$\eta /s$ behaviors agree with the empirical observations in atomic and molecular systems such as H₂O, He, N, and all the matters with data available in the NIST database. These behaviors are expected to be the same in N   component scalar theories with an O(N)$O(N)$ symmetry. We speculate these η/s$\eta /s$ behaviors are general properties of fluid shared by QCD and cold atoms. Finally, we clarify some issues regarding counterexamples of the conjectured universal bound η/s?1/4π$\eta /s?1/4\pi$ found in Refs. [T.D. Cohen, Phys. Rev. Lett. 99 (2007) 021602, hep-th/0702136; A. Cherman, T.D. Cohen, P.M. Hohler, arXiv: 0708.4201 [hep-th]; A. Dobado, F.J. Llanes-Estrada, Eur. Phys. J. C 51 (2007) 913, hep-th/0703132]     

Taste symmetry breaking at finite temperature

The breaking of the taste symmetry is studied in the temperature range between 140 MeV to 550 MeV. In order to investigate this violation we have calculated the screening masses of the various taste states fitting the exponential decay of the spatial correlators. The computation has been performed using dynamical N _f =2+1 gauge field configurations generated with the p4 staggered action along the Line of Constant Physics (LCP) defined by a pion mass m _π of approximately 220 MeV and the kaon mass m _K equals 500 MeV. For temperatures below the transition an agreement with the predictions of the staggered chiral perturbation theory has been found and no temperature effect can be observed on the taste violation. Above the transition the taste splitting still shows an $\mathcal{O}(a^{2})$ behavior but with a temperature-dependent slope. In addition to the analysis done for the pion multiplet we have performed an analogous computation for the light–strange and strange mesons and also looked at the scalar, vector and axial-vector channels to understand how the multiplets split at finite temperature. Finally the temperature dependence of the pion decay constant f _π is investigated to get further information regarding the chiral symmetry restoration.     

Comparison of the non-uniform chiral and 2SC phases at finite temperatures and densities

We study the phase diagram of the strongly interacting matter at finite temperatures and densities including 2SC, uniform chiral and non-uniform chiral phases within the Nambu–Jona-Lasinio model in the mean field approximation.     

Finite temperature corrections to the Casimir effect in rectangular cavities with perfectly conducting walls

The thermodynamical properties of a quantized electromagnetic field inside a box with perfectly conducting walls are studied using a regularization scheme that permits to obtain finite expressions for the thermodynamic potentials. The source of ultraviolet divergences is directly isolated in the expression for the density of modes, and the logarithmic infrared divergences are regularized imposing the uniqueness of vacuum and, consequently, the vanishing of the entropy in the limit of zero temperature. We thus obtain corrections to the Casimir energy and pressures, and to the specific heat; these results suggest effects that could be tested experimentally.     

Thermofield dynamics and Casimir effect for fermions

A generalization of the Bogoliubov transformation is developed to describe a space compactified fermionic field. The method is the fermionic counterpart of the formalism introduced earlier for bosons [Phys. Rev. A 66 (2002) 052101], and is based on the thermofield dynamics approach. We analyze the energy-momentum tensor for the Casimir effect of a free massless fermion field in a d-dimensional box at finite temperature. As a particular case the Casimir energy and pressure for the field confined in a three-dimensional parallelepiped box are calculated. It is found that the attractive or repulsive nature of the Casimir pressure on opposite faces changes depending on the relative magnitude of the edges. We also determine the temperature at which the Casimir pressure in a cubic box changes sign and estimate its value when the edge of the cube is of the order of the confining lengths for baryons.     

Isoscalar Giant Monopole Resonance in Relativistic Continuum Random Phase Approximation

The isoscalar giant monopole resonance （ISGMR） in nuclei is studied in the framework of a fully consistent relativistic continuum random phase approximation （RCRPA）. In this method the contribution of the continuum spectrum to nuclear excitations is treated exactly by the single particle Green＇s function technique. The negative energy states in the Dirac sea are also included in the single particle Green＇s function in the no-sea approximation. The single particle Green＇s function is calculated numerically by a proper product of the regular and irregular solutions of the Dirac equation. The strength distributions in the RCRPA calculations, the inverse energyweighted sum rule m-1 and the centroid energy of the ISGMR in ^120Sn and ^208Pb are analysed. Numerical results of the RCRPA are checked with the constrained relativistic mean field model and relativistic random phase approximation with a discretized spectrum in the continuum. Good agreement between them is achieved.     

The spectroscopy and structure of the transitional nucleus219Ra

The interchange of two sets of spins in the level structure of²¹⁹Ra observed following the alpha decay of²²³Th and the suggestion that the ground state of²¹⁹Ra was not observed in the heavy ion reaction spectroscopy²⁰⁸Pb(¹⁴C, 3n), allow the correlation of these levels which were previously unconnected. The resulting level structure is interpreted in terms of and parity doublet bands which evolve from anomalous rotational structures into vibrational-like structures with alternating spins and parities. The level structure of²¹⁹Ra is successfully interpreted both in terms of octupole deformed (ε ₃=0.08) Nilsson levels and in terms of intermediate coupling using normal Nilsson levels with very strong octupole correlations. The levels in²¹⁹Ra are then compared to the corresponding levels in a series of isotopic and isotonic nuclei to trace the collapse of octupole-quadrupole deformed nuclear structure into the more degenerate shell-model spectroscopy.     

K and K* Exchange Effects in Lambda Hypernuclei

We study the effects of K and K^＊ exchange between the A hyperon and the nucleon in a A hypernueleus, where the nuclear core is described by a successful relativistic mean-field （RMF） model. In general, K and K^＊ are responsible for strangeness exchange in the one-boson-exchange potential model, which are absent in the RMF calculation. We investigate the contribution of Fock terms derived from K and K^＊ exchange. We use a pseudovector coupling for K exchange, which is found to provide a repulsive potential for the A particle in hypernuclei. Both vector and tensor couplings for K^＊ exchange are taken into account, whose combined effect on the A single-particle energy is found to be small.