Microscopic Nucleon-Nucleus Optical Potentials from Chiral Effective Field Theory
Abstract
In this dissertation I focus on my work in the development of nucleon-nucleus optical potentials
calculated in the framework of many-body perturbation theory with nuclear forces from chiral
effective field theory. Building upon previous calculations of the nucleon optical potential in nuclear matter my goal was to construct a global nucleon-nucleus optical potential, suitable for nuclei across the nuclear chart. In the first two works, neutron- and proton-calcium optical potentials are calculated and analyzed. Comparisons are made to experimental data, phenomenology, and other microscopic approaches. The next step was constructing the first microscopic global optical potential. Comparisons are again made, and we find key departures from phenomenology that support the idea that microscopic calculations are better suited for exotic nuclei for which there are no experimental data. Fermi liquid theory, a related many-body topic, is discussed. I end with brief outlines of applications of the optical potential including nucleon spectral functions and effective masses.
Subject
chiral effective field theoryoptical potential
nuclear reaction theory
many-body perturbation theory
Citation
Whitehead, Taylor (2021). Microscopic Nucleon-Nucleus Optical Potentials from Chiral Effective Field Theory. Doctoral dissertation, Texas A&M University. Available electronically from https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /195843.