Nuclear Energy Density Functionals Constrained by Low-Energy QCD

TL;DR

This paper develops a nuclear energy density functional grounded in low-energy QCD principles, linking fundamental particle physics with nuclear structure modeling, and applies it to study various nuclei.

Contribution

It introduces a novel relativistic energy density functional based on low-energy QCD constraints, bridging effective field theory and density functional theory.

Findings

Functional successfully describes ground-state properties of nuclei

In-medium vacuum condensate changes are incorporated

Chiral symmetry breaking guides the functional development

Abstract

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 low-energy limit: a) in-medium changes of vacuum condensates, and b) spontaneous breaking of chiral symmetry; a relativistic energy density functional is developed and applied in studies of ground-state properties of spherical and deformed nuclei.