Nuclear $\beta$-decay half-lives within the subtracted second random-phase approximation

TL;DR

This paper develops a microscopic model within Skyrme energy-density functional theory to accurately compute nuclear $eta$-decay half-lives, improving upon previous RPA methods by including complex correlations and avoiding empirical quenching factors.

Contribution

It introduces a subtracted second random-phase approximation for charge-exchange excitations, providing more accurate $eta$-decay half-life predictions without ad hoc quenching.

Findings

Improved agreement with experimental half-lives.

More fragmented Gamow-Teller spectra.

Lower half-lives compared to RPA results.

Abstract

We employ, within the framework of Skyrme energy-density functional theory, the subtracted second random-phase approximation, recently developed for charge-exchange excitations, to compute $\beta$-decay half-lives in four nuclei, $^{24}$O, $^{34}$Si, $^{78}$Ni, and $^{132}$Sn. Following our recent results on the description of the Gamow-Teller strength, we proceed coherently in the present work by computing $\beta$-decay half-lives using the bare value of the axial-vector coupling constant $g_A$. Half-lives are thus obtained, within the allowed Gamow-Teller approximation, without the use of any ad hoc quenching factors. A genuine quenching is indeed microscopically introduced in our model owing to the correlations induced by the coupling of one-particle one-hole configurations with two-particle two-hole ones. The role of the so-called $J^2$ terms is also studied. By comparing our results with experimental data, we show a general improvement of $\beta$-decay half-lives with respect to results obtained within the commonly used Random Phase Approximation (RPA). The inclusion of the two-particle two-hole configurations produces a more fragmented and richer spectrum within the $\beta$-window, resulting in lower $\beta$ half-lives with respect to the RPA ones.