Densities and momentum distributions in A <=12 nuclei from chiral effective field theory interactions

TL;DR

This paper uses chiral effective field theory and variational Monte Carlo methods to analyze nucleon-nucleon correlations, densities, and momentum distributions in nuclei with up to 12 nucleons, aiding future scattering experiments.

Contribution

It provides new variational Monte Carlo calculations of densities and momentum distributions based on Norfolk nuclear Hamiltonians for light nuclei, enhancing understanding of short-range correlations.

Findings

Detailed nucleon density and momentum distribution data for A<=12 nuclei.

Insights into the role of two-body correlations in nuclear structure.

Accessible online tables and figures for further research.

Abstract

Current and future electron and neutrino scattering experiments will be greatly aided by a better understanding of the role played by short-range correlations in nuclei. Two-body physics, including nucleon-nucleon correlations and two-body electroweak currents, is required to explain the body of experimental data for both static and dynamical nuclear properties. In this work, we focus on examining nucleon-nucleon correlations from a chiral effective field theory perspective and provide a comprehensive set of new variational Monte Carlo calculations of one- and two-body densities and momentum distributions based on the Norfolk many-body nuclear Hamiltonians for A<=12 systems. Online access to detailed tables and figures is available.