The three-body problem with short-range interactions

The quantum mechanical three-body problem is studied for general short-range interactions. We work in coordinate space to facilitate accurate computations of weakly bound and spatially extended systems. Hyperspherical coordinates are used in both the interpretation and as an integral part of the numerical method. Universal properties and model independence are discussed throughout the report. We present an overview of the hyperspherical adiabatic Faddeev equations. The wave function is expanded on hyperspherical angular eigenfunctions which in turn are found numerically using the Faddeev equations. We generalize the formalism to any dimension of space d greater or equal to two. We present two numerical techniques for solving the Faddeev equations on the hypersphere. These techniques are effective for short and intermediate/large distances including use for hard core repulsive potentials. We study the asymptotic limit of large hyperradius and derive the analytic behaviour of the angular eigenvalues and eigenfunctions. We discuss four applications of the general method. We first analyze the Efimov and Thomas effects for arbitrary angular momenta and for arbitrary dimensions d. Second we apply the method to extract the general behaviour of weakly bound three-body systems in two dimensions. Third we illustrate the method in three dimensions by structure computations of Borromean halo nuclei, the hypertriton and helium molecules. Fourth we investigate in three dimensions three-body continuum properties of Borromean halo nuclei and recombination reactions of helium atoms as an example of direct relevance for the stability of Bose–Einstein condensates.     

Measurements of the Cross Sections and A y for D(p, n) Inclusive Breakup Reaction at 170 MeV

The effects of three-nucleon force (3NF) has been actively studied by using the nucleon–deuteron (Nd) scattering states. The differential cross sections of the elastic Nd scattering at the energy below 150 MeV can be well reproduced by incorporating 3NF in the Faddeev calculation based on modern nucleon–nucleon (NN) interactions. On the other hand, the differential cross sections of Nd elastic and inelastic scatterings at 250 MeV show large discrepancies between the data and the Faddeev calculations with 3NF. It indicates the presence of the missing features of the three nucleon system at this energy region. For the systematic study about the energy dependence of this large discrepancies, we measured the differential cross sections and the vector analyzing power A _y for the ²H(p, n) inclusive breakup reaction at 170 MeV. The experiment was carried out at RCNP by detecting scattered neutrons by using the neutron detector NPOL3. The data was compared with the results of the Faddeev calculations with and without the 3NF.     

Variational calculations on the three-body scattering problem

An extended resonating-group method is used to calculate the elastic scattering amplitudes (up to L = 2 for a system of three identical bosons interacting through local Yukawa potentials. The results are compared to approximate solutions of the Faddeev equations.     

Algorithm for solving the Faddeev equations in the three-body continuum under avoidance of moving logarithmic singularities

A new method is presented for solving the Faddeev equations in the three-body continuum, which avoids the moving logarithmic singularities present in momentum space methods used up to now. The new algorithm leads to a simple structure of the Faddeev integral kernel, what simplifies significantly the numerical realization. Its application in nuclear physics is, however, still plagued by the presence of the virtual-state pole in the nucleon-nucleon¹S₀ channel. Omitting that channel in calculations with the Bonn-B potential we demonstrate excellent agreement between three-nucleon observables obtained with the new and a former method. Since the codes are quite different, this can be considered as a convincing test.     

New treatment of breakup in few-body systems

A new approach to determining breakup amplitudes in few-body systems in the context of a Faddeev formalism based on lattice discretization of a continuum is described. Due to such discretization and use of finite-dimensional representations for all operators in the kernels of integral equations, breakup in few-body systems is interpreted as a partial case of multi-channel scattering and corresponds to transitions between the states of the discretized continuum of an asymptotic channel Hamiltonian. The case study is based on amplitudes of three-nucleon breakup n + d → n + n + p with semi-realistic NN interaction potentials.     

Asymptotic method for determining the amplitude for three-particle breakup: Neutron-deuteron scattering

The process of neutron-deuteron scattering at energies above the deuteron-breakup threshold is described within the three-body formalism of Faddeev equations. Use is made of the method of solving Faddeev equations in configuration space on the basis of expanding wave-function components in the asymptotic region in bases of eigenfunctions of specially chosen operators. Asymptotically, wave-function components are represented in the form of an expansion in an orthonormalized basis of functions depending on the hyperangle. This basis makes it possible to orthogonalize the contributions of elastic-scattering and breakup channels. The proposed method permits determining scattering and breakup parameters from the asymptotic representation of the wave function without reconstructing it over the entire configuration space. The scattering and breakup amplitudes for states of total spin S = 1/2 and 3/2 were obtained for the s-wave Faddeev equation.     

Ultracold collisions in the system of three helium atoms

The Faddeev differential equations for a system of three particles with a hard-core interaction are described. Numerical results on the binding energies of the ⁴He₃ and ³He⁴He₂ trimers and on ultracold collisions of ^3,4He atoms with ⁴He₂ dimers obtained with the help of those differential equations are reviewed. The results obtained for the hard-core model using the Faddeev equations are compared with analogous results obtained by alternative methods.     

R-matrix approach to the 3-body problem

The asymptotic form of the Faddeev amplitude in coordinate space is derived in various orders. This form and the structure of the Faddeev equations allow by aR-matrix method to establish a set of equations directly for the 3-body on-shellT-matrix elements. The procedure is equally well suited for local and nonlocal interactions.     

Three-body scattering in configuration space

The asymptotic forms of the wavefunction and Faddeev components in configuration space are shown to determine uniquely the solutions of the Schrödinger or Faddeev differential equations for 2 → (2, 3) and 3 → (2, 3) processes. An antisymmetrized form of the Faddeev differential equation for three equivalent fermions is given and its angular analysis is performed in the general case of local potentials with tensor interaction for neutron-deuteron scattering. We describe a numerical method for solving the corresponding boundary value problem and apply it to scattering and break-up at E_n^1ab = 14.4 MeV in the doublet S state for the four local potentials of Malfliet and Tjon, Reid, de Tourreil and Sprung, and de Tourreil, Rouben and Sprung. For the three realistic potentials, elastic scattering amplitudes differ by 5%, and amplitudes for break-up in the two-neutron state ¹S₀ differ by less than 4%.     

Four-Body Faddeev–Yakubovsky Equations Using Two-Cluster RGM Kernels: Applications to 4N and 4α Systems

Four-cluster Faddeev–Yakubovsky calculations using two-cluster RGM kernels are carried out for identical clusters. A precise ground-state energy of the α-particle, predicted by the quark-model nucleon–nucleon (NN) interaction fss2, is E _α  = ?26.61 MeV, including approximate effects of the Coulomb force and the charge dependence of the 2N force. The missing ?1.7 MeV in the experimental value ?28.3 MeV is about half of 3–4 MeV, predicted by modern meson-exchange 2N potentials, implying that almost half of 3–4 MeV is attributed to the off-shell effect of our nonlocal NN interaction fss2. As to the applications to four-α system, a method to eliminate the Faddeev redundant components from the basic Faddeev–Yakubovsky equations is proposed.     

Symmetric integral equations derived from the Faddeev equations

A way is shown to transform the Faddeev equations of the atomic three-body problem into a set of integral equations with symmetric kernel. The method is treated in more detail for total angular momentumJ=0 and applied to calculating the binding energy of theH ^? ion.     

On the possibility of an analytic solution of the three-body problem

Three-body Faddeev equations in the Noyes-Fiedeldey form are rewritten as a matrix analog of a one-dimensional nonrelativistic Schrödinger equation. Unlike the method of K-harmonics, where a similar equation was obtained by expansion of a three-body Schrödinger equation wavefunction into the orthogonal set of functions of two variables (K-harmonics), the use of the Noyes-Fiedeldey form of Faddeev equations allows us to limit ourselves to the expansion in functions of one variable only. The solutions of the above mentioned matrix equation are obtained. These solutions converge uniformly within every interval of continuity of the matrix, which corresponds to the potential of that equation. Their asymptotic behavior for large interparticle distances is discussed. The solutions for the harmonic oscillator, inverse-square, and Coulomb-Kepler potentials are found. It is shown that energy levels in the last case may be calculated from a simple formula which is very similar to the corresponding formula for the two-body Coulomb-Kepler problem. This formula can be easily generalized to the case of n particles interacting with inverse distance potentials.     

Calculation of the two-body scattering T-matrix in configuration space

In order to carry out a solution of the three-body Faddeev integral equations in configuration space, the calculation of the two-body scattering T-matrices and related integrals are required as an input. The formulation of the three-body Faddeev solution, as well as the computational steps used for the calculation of the T-matrices are presented, and results for the latter are illustrated for the case of the scattering of two helium atoms.     

A three-body calculation of πd scattering

We present a theoretical treatment of the pion-deuteron system, meant specifically for the energy region below 100 MeV, and based on the Faddeev method for three-body scattering. This includes all orders of multiple scattering, two- and three-body unitarity (to a good approximation), nucleon recoil, deuteron d-state and a correct treatment of spin and isospin. For consistency with nuclear physics we treat the nucleons non-relativistically. However, relativistic kinematics are used for the pion. In order to obtain one-dimensional integral equations in the three-body system, we have constructed a set of separable πN t-matrices (with analytic form factors), which fit selected data up to 300 MeV. A comparison is made with existing π⁺d data at 48 MeV. This data tends to favour the Faddeev type of energy dependence for the πN t-matrix in the πd system. This could also be important in low-energy pion-nucleus scattering.     

The Faddeev equations for the Heisenberg ferromagnet

The Faddeev equations for the three-magnon T-matrix of the Heisenberg ferromagnet with nearest neighbour interactions are derived for the cubic lattice in arbitrary dimensions. The extreme case of spin $\text{1}\text{2}$ is considered and the kinematical restriction, that only one spin deviation per site is possible, has been taken into account rigorously. Hence the T-matrix is unitary and suited for the study of bound state as well as scattering state properties. The analytic solution of the homogeneous Faddeev equations in one dimension is given.     

Coulomb forces in the three-body problem with application to direct nuclear reactions

Faddeev equations are considered in the case of three charged particles interacting with both separable nuclear two-body interactions and also including Coulomb forces. Modified Faddeev equations with Coulomb Green's functions are introduced. The three-body amplitudes are given into pure Coulomb and distorted-Coulomb amplitudes. Introducing a decomposition in the angular momentum states, a set of three-body integral equations is obtained. The effect of pure coulomb amplitudes is studied in direct nuclear reactions and found to give a large contribution to the cross sections. The three-body integral equations obtained are applied for direct nuclear reactions. The angular distributions for¹²C(⁶Li,d)¹⁶O,¹⁶O(⁶Li,d)²⁰Ne, and¹²C(⁶Li,α)¹⁴N transfer reactions are calculated as well as for the⁶Li elastic scattering on¹²C. From the good agreement between the theoretically calculated and experimental data, better spectroscopic factors are extracted. The effect of including Coulomb forces in the three-body problem is found to improve the results by about 16.26%.     

Exact solutions to the three-body problem for <Emphasis Type="Italic">S</Emphasis>-wave interactions of the centrifugal type

The simplest exact solutions to the Schrödinger and Faddeev equations for S-wave pair interactions of the centrifugal type are constructed and investigated for the case of zero total orbital angular momentum of three particles.     

Relativistic effects in the 3N continuum and the A y puzzle

The three-nucleon (3N) Faddeev equation is solved in a Poincaré-invariant model of the three-nucleon system. Two-body interactions are generated so that when they are added to the two-nucleon invariant mass operator (rest energy) the two-nucleon S-matrix is identical to the non-relativistic S-matrix with a CD Bonn interaction. Cluster properties of the three-nucleon S-matrix determine how these two-nucleon interactions are embedded in the three-nucleon mass operator. Differences in the predictions of the relativistic and corresponding non-relativistic models for elastic and breakup processes are investigated. Of special interest are the lowering of the A _y maximum in elastic nucleon-deuteron (Nd) scattering below ≈25?MeV caused by the Wigner spin rotations and the significant changes of the breakup cross sections in certain regions of the phase space.     

Approximate Treatment of 3-Body Coulomb Systems: Discrete Spectrum

We present a method for treatment of three charged particles. The proposed method has universal character and is applicable both for bound and continuum states. A finite-rank approximation is used for Coulomb potential in the Lippman?CSchwinger equation, that results in a system of one-dimensional coupled integral equations. Preliminary numerical results for three-body atomic and molecular systems like H ^?, He, pp?? and other are presented.     

Scattering from a bound target in the Faddeev approach: (I). Neutron scattering from protons in heavy hydrocarbons in the eV region

We consider the Faddeev approach to the scattering of a projectile from a target bound to a residual core under the assumptions that the projectile-target and target-core forces are separable, that the projectile and core do not interact, and that the core is infinitely heavy. As a first application of our formalism we calculate the scattering of neutrons from the protons in hydrocarbon molecules, the so-called chemical binding problem. Upon solving the Faddeev equations by inversion for this situation, we find that the impulse approximation, the driving term in the Faddeev equations, describes the exact scattering to within ≦ 0.45%. Further we examine the energy region where molecular dissociation is possible and find that the bound-final-state and molecular breakup cross sections balance to give the experimentally observed asymptotically constant cross section σ_free^np.