Range corrections for two-neutron halo nuclei in effective theory

TL;DR

This paper improves the theoretical understanding of two-neutron halo nuclei by calculating linear range corrections at next-to-leading order within an effective quantum mechanics framework, confirming the robustness of leading order predictions.

Contribution

It introduces a systematic method to include range corrections in the effective theory of two-neutron halo nuclei, enhancing the accuracy of universal property predictions.

Findings

Range corrections are small and do not significantly alter leading order results.

The effective theory predicts the possible existence of excited Efimov states.

Mean square radii of halo nuclei are calculated with improved precision.

Abstract

The range corrections to the universal properties and structure of two-neutron halo nuclei are investigated within an effective quantum mechanics framework. Treating the nucleus as an effective three-body system, we make a systematic improvement upon previous calculations by calculating the linear range corrections at next-to-leading order. Since the effective ranges for the neutron-core interactions are not known, we estimate the effective range to be set by the inverse of the pion mass. We investigate the possibility of excited Efimov states in two-neutron halo nuclei and calculate their mean square radii to next-to-leading order. We find that the effective range corrections are generally small and the leading order predictions are very robust.