Scale-(in)dependence in quantum 4-body scattering

TL;DR

This paper explores how 4-body scattering observables depend on cutoff parameters and 3-body scales, revealing threshold effects and reaction rate sensitivities that challenge previous renormalization assumptions.

Contribution

It demonstrates that 4-body scattering properties remain stable over a range of cutoffs when using a specific renormalization scheme, and uncovers threshold effects linked to 3-body parameters.

Findings

Observables are stable over a cutoff range from 6 to 10 fm^{-2}.

Threshold degeneracies cause divergences in scattering lengths.

Inelastic scattering is enhanced at threshold overlaps, indicating strong 4-body reaction sensitivity.

Abstract

We investigate the multi-channel 4-body scattering system using regularized 2- and 3-body contact interactions. The analysis determines the sensitivity of bound-state energies, scattering phase shifts and cross sections on the cutoff parameter ($\lambda$), and the energy gaps between scattering thresholds. The latter dependency is obtained with a 2-body scale fixed to an unnaturally large value and a floating 3-body parameter. Specifically, we calculate the binding energies of the shallow 3- and 4-body states, dimer-dimer and trimer-atom scattering lengths, and the trimer-atom to dimer-dimer reaction rates. Employing a potential renormalized by a large 2-body scattering length and a 3-body scale, we find all calculated observables to remain practically constant over the range $6\textrm{fm}^{-2}<\lambda<10\textrm{fm}^{-2}$. Divergences in scattering lengths emerge for critical 3-body parameters at which thresholds are degenerate. Such threshold effects are found to be independent of the regulator cutoff. Furthermore, at those critical points where the dimer-dimer and trimer-atom thresholds overlap, we predict an enhancement of the inelastic over the elastic scattering event. Such an inversion between elastic- and rearrangement-collision probabilities indicates a strong sensitivity of the 4-body reaction dynamics on the 3-body parameter at finite 2-body scale. This phenomenon is absent in earlier studies which differ in the renormalization scheme. As this discrepancy arises for all considered cutoffs, a more comprehensive parametrization of short-distance structure is necessary: sole cutoff variation does not reveal non-perturbative change in reaction rates conjectured to be due to a combined effect of the finite 2-body range and the specific choice for the 3-body parameter.