Nucleon momentum distributions, their spin-isospin dependence and short-range correlations

TL;DR

This paper systematically analyzes nucleon momentum distributions across various nuclei, emphasizing the universal high-momentum behavior due to short-range correlations and their spin-isospin dependence, using advanced many-body wave functions.

Contribution

It provides a detailed comparison of momentum distributions from different many-body approaches and clarifies the role of spin-isospin states and center-of-mass motion in SRCs.

Findings

High-momentum components are similar across nuclei and approaches.

SRCs exhibit A-independent behavior at high momenta.

The ratio n_A(k)/n_D(k) increases with momentum in the SRC region.

Abstract

The nucleon momentum distribution $n_A(k)$ for $A=$2, 3, 4, 16, and 40 nuclei is systematically analyzed in terms of wave functions resulting from advanced solutions of the nonrelativistic Schr\"{o}dinger equation, obtained within different many-body approaches. Particular attention is paid to the separation of the momentum distributions into the mean-field and short-range correlations (SRC) contributions. It is shown that at high values of the momentum $k$ the high-momentum components ($k\gtrsim 1.5-2$ fm$^{-1}$) of all nuclei considered are very similar, exhibiting the well-known scaling behavior with the mass number $A$, independently of the used many-body approach and the details of the bare $NN$ interaction. The number of $NN$ pairs in a given ($ST$) state, viz., ($ST$)=(10), (00), (01), and (11), and the contribution of these states to the nucleon momentum distributions are calculated. It is shown that, apart from the (00) state, which has very small effects, all other spin-isospin states contribute to the momentum distribution in a wide range of momenta. It is shown that that for all nuclei considered the momentum distributions in the states T=0 and T=1 exhibit at $k\gtrsim 1.5-2$ fm$^{-1}$ very similar behaviors, which represents strong evidence of the A-independent character of SRCs. The ratio $n_A(k)/n_D(k)$ is analyzed in detail stressing that in the SRC region it always increases with the momentum and the origin of such an increase is discussed and elucidated. The relationships between the one- and two-body momentum distributions, considered in a previous paper, are discussed and clarified, pointing out the relevant role played by the center-of-mass motion of a correlated pair in the (10) state. The relationship of the present approach with the many-body methods based upon low-momentum effective interactions is briefly discussed.