Relativistic Brueckner-Hartree-Fock theory for finite nuclei

TL;DR

This paper develops a fully relativistic Brueckner-Hartree-Fock approach for finite nuclei, solving the equations without free parameters, leading to more accurate predictions of nuclear properties like binding energy and charge radius.

Contribution

It introduces the first solution of relativistic Brueckner-Hartree-Fock equations for finite nuclei using a Dirac-Woods-Saxon basis without free parameters.

Findings

Ground-state properties of $^{16}$O are significantly improved.

Results are closer to experimental data than non-relativistic models.

Method enables ab initio covariant studies of heavy nuclei.

Abstract

Starting with a bare nucleon-nucleon interaction, for the first time the full relativistic Brueckner-Hartree-Fock equations are solved for finite nuclei in a Dirac-Woods-Saxon basis. No free parameters are introduced to calculate the ground-state properties of finite nuclei. The nucleus $^{16}$O is investigated as an example. The resulting ground-state properties, such as binding energy and charge radius, are considerably improved as compared with the non-relativistic Brueckner-Hartree-Fock results and much closer to the experimental data. This opens the door for \emph{ab initio} covariant investigations of heavy nuclei.