Universality of short-range nucleon-nucleon correlations

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates a universal behavior in short-range nucleon-nucleon correlations across various light nuclei, linking coordinate space and momentum space properties, and discusses implications for effective interactions.

Contribution

It reveals a universal pattern in short-range correlations in light nuclei and proposes a pairwise renormalization approach for effective two-body interactions.

Findings

Universal behavior in coordinate space below 1 fm across nuclei

Universal high-momentum components in momentum space

Comparison of exact and approximate two-body densities

Abstract

Short-range correlations between nucleon pairs in different spin-isospin channels are investigated for light nuclei using the Argonne V8' interaction. At distances below 1 fm a universal behavior is found for the deuteron, 3H, 3He and for ground and first excited states in 4He. This behavior in coordinate space is reflected by a universal behavior for the high-momentum components in momentum space. The universality indicates that a pairwise renormalization is possible in order to obtain a universal effective two-body interaction that does not scatter to high momentum states. The exact two-body densities are compared with those obtained using the unitary correlation operator method with simple trial wave functions. The effect of three-body correlations due to the tensor force on the two-body densities is discussed.