Dr Matteo Vorabbi

Elastic scattering of antiprotons off He-4, C-12, and O-16,O-18 is described for the first time with a consistent microscopic approach based on the calculation of an optical potential (OP) describing the antiproton-target interaction. The OP is derived using the recent antiproton-nucleon ((p) over barN) chiral interaction to calculate the (p) over barN t matrix, while the target densities are computed with the ab initio no-core shell model using chiral interactions as well. Our results are in good agreement with the existing experimental data and the results computed at different chiral orders of the (p) over barN interaction display a well-defined convergence pattern.

Background: Elastic scattering is a very important process to understand nuclear interactions in finite nuclei. Despite decades of efforts, the goal of reaching a coherent description of this physical process in terms of microscopic forces is still far from being completed. Purpose: In previous papers we derived a nonrelativistic theoretical optical potential from nucleon-nucleon chiral potentials at fourth ((NLO)-L-3) and fifth order ((NLO)-L-4). We checked convergence patterns and established theoretical error bands. With this work we study the performances of our optical potential in comparison with those of a successful nonrelativistic phenomenological optical potential in the description of elastic proton scattering data on several isotopic chains at energies around and above 200 MeV. Methods: We use the same framework and the same approximations as adopted in our previous papers, where the nonrelativistic optical potential is derived at the first-order term within the spectator expansion of the multiple scattering theory and adopting the impulse approximation and the optimum factorization approximation. Results: The cross sections and analyzing powers for elastic proton scattering off calcium, nickel, tin, and lead isotopes are presented for several incident proton energies, exploring the range 156

Background: The nuclear optical potential is a successful tool for the study of nucleon-nucleus elastic scattering and its use has been further extended to inelastic scattering and other nuclear reactions. The nuclear density of the target nucleus is a fundamental ingredient in the construction of the optical potential and thus plays an important role in the description of the scattering process. Purpose: In this paper we derive a microscopic optical potential for intermediate energies using ab initio translationally invariant nonlocal one-body nuclear densities computed within the no-core shell model (NCSM) approach utilizing two- and three-nucleon chiral interactions as the only input. Methods: The optical potential is derived at first order within the spectator expansion of the nonrelativistic multiple scattering theory by adopting the impulse approximation. Nonlocal nuclear densities are derived from the NCSM one-body densities calculated in the second quantization. The translational invariance is generated by exactly removing the spurious center-of-mass (COM) component from the NCSM eigenstates. Results: The ground-state local and nonlocal densities of He-4,He-6,He-8, C-12, and O-16 are calculated and applied to optical potential construction. The differential cross sections and the analyzing powers for the elastic proton scattering off these nuclei are then calculated for different values of the incident proton energy. The impact of nonlocality and the COM removal is discussed. Conclusions: The use of nonlocal densities has a substantial impact on the differential cross sections and improves agreement with experiment in comparison to results generated with the local densities especially for light nuclei. For the halo nuclei He-6 and He-8, the results for the differential cross section are in a reasonable agreement with the data although a more sophisticated model for the optical potential is required to properly describe the analyzing powers.

Background: In a previous series of papers we investigated the domain of applicability of chiral potentials to the construction of a microscopic optical potential (OP) for elastic nucleon-nucleus scattering. The OP was derived at the first order of the spectator expansion of the Watson multiple scattering theory and its final expression was a folding integral between the nucleon-nucleon (NN) t matrix and the nuclear density of the target. In the calculations NN and three-nucleon (3N) chiral interactions were used for the target density and only the NN interaction for the NN t matrix. Purpose: The purpose of this work is to achieve another step towards the calculation of a more consistent OP introducing the 3N force also in the dynamic part of the OP. Methods: The full treatment of the 3N interaction is beyond our present capabilities. Thus, in the present work it is approximated with a density dependent NN interaction obtained after the averaging over the Fermi sphere. In practice, in our model the 3N force acts as a medium correction of the bare NN interaction used to calculate the t matrix. Even if the 3N force is treated in an approximate way, this method naturally extends our previous model of the OP and allows a direct comparison of our present and previous results. Results: We consider as case studies the elastic scattering of nucleons off C-12 and O-16. We present results for the differential cross section and the spin observables for different values of the projectile energy. From the comparison with the experimental data and with the results of our previous model we assess the importance of the 3N interaction in the dynamic part of the OP. Conclusions: Our analysis indicates that the contribution of the 3N force in the t matrix is small for the differential cross section and it is sizable for the spin observables, in particular, for the analyzing power. We find that the two-pion exchange term is the major contributor to the 3N force. A chiral expansion order-by-order analysis of the scattering observables confirms the convergence of our results at the next-to-next-to-next-to-leading-order, as already established in our previous work.

Background: The production of Be-7 and Li-7 nuclei plays an important role in primordial nucleosynthesis, nuclear astrophysics, and fusion energy generation. The He-3(alpha, gamma)Be-7 and H-3(alpha, gamma)Li-7 radiative-capture processes are important to determine the Li-7 abundance in the early universe and to predict the correct fraction of pp-chain branches resulting in Be-7 versus B-8 neutrinos. The Li-6(p, gamma)Be-7 has been investigated recently hinting at a possible cross section enhacement near the thershold. The Li-6(n, H-3)He-4 process can be utilized for tritium breeding in machines dedicated to fusion energy generation through the deuteron-tritium reaction, and is a neutron cross section standard used in the measurement and evaluation of fission cross sections. Purpose: In this work we study the properties of Be-7 and Li-7 within the no-core shell model with continuum (NCSMC) method, using chiral nucleon-nucleon interactions as the only input, and analyze all the binary mass partitions involved in the formation of these systems. Methods: The NCSMC is an ab initio method applicable to light nuclei that provides a unified description of bound and scattering states and thus is well suited to investigate systems with many resonances and pronounced clustering like Be-7 and Li-7. Results: Our calculations reproduce all the experimentally known states of the two systems and provide predictions for several new resonances of both parities. Some of these new possible resonances are built on the ground states of Li-6 and He-6, and thus represent a robust prediction. We do not find any resonance in the p + Li-6 mass partition near the threshold. On the other hand, in the p + He-6 mass partition of Li-7 we observe an S-wave resonance near the threshold producing a very pronounced peak in the calculated S factor of the He-6(p, gamma)Li-7 radiative-capture reaction. Conclusions: While we do not find a resonance near the thershold in the p + Li-6 channel, in the case of He-6 + p reaction a resonant S-wave state is predicted at a very low energy above the reaction threshold, which could be relevant for astrophysics and its implications should be investigated. We note though that this state lies above the three-body breakup threshold not included in our method and may be influenced by three-body continuum correlations.

Background: In recent years, we constructed a microscopic optical potential (OP) for elastic nucleon-nucleus (NA) scattering using modern approaches based on chiral theories for the nucleon-nucleon (NN) interaction. The OP was derived at first order of the spectator expansion in Watson multiple scattering theory and its final expression was a folding integral between the NN t matrix and the nuclear density of the target. Two- and three-body forces are consistently included both in the target and in the projectile description. Purpose: The purpose of this work is to apply our microscopic OP to nuclei characterized by a ground state of spin-parity quantum numbers J(pi) not equal 0(+). Methods: We extended our formalism to include the spin of the target nucleus. The full amplitudes of the NN reaction matrix are retained in the calculations starting from two- and three-body chiral forces. Results: The microscopic OP can be applied in the energy range 100

Background: The exotic He-9 nucleus, which presents one of the most extreme neutron-to-proton ratios, belongs to the N = 7 isotonic chain famous for the phenomenon of ground-state parity inversion with decreasing number of protons. Consequently, it would be expected to have an unnatural (positive) parity ground state similar to Be-11 and Li-10. Despite many experimental and theoretical investigations, its structure remains uncertain. Apart from the fact that it is unbound, other properties including the spin and parity of its ground state, and the very existence of additional low-lying resonances are still a matter of debate. Purpose: In this work, we study the properties of He-9 by analyzing the n + He-8 continuum in the context of the ab initio no-core shell model with continuum (NCSMC) formalism with chiral nucleon-nucleon interactions as the only input. Methods: The NCSMCis a state-of-the-art approach for the ab initio description of light nuclei. With its capability to predict properties of bound states, resonances, and scattering states in a unified framework, the method is particularly well suited for the study of unbound nuclei such as He-9. Results: Our analysis produces an unbound He-9 nucleus. Two resonant states are found at the energies of similar to 1 and similar to 3.5MeV, respectively, above the n + 8He breakup threshold. The first state has a spin-parity assignment of J(pi) = 1/2(-) and can be associated with the ground state of He-9, while the second, broader state has a spin parity of 3/2(-). No resonance is found in the 1/2(+) channel, only a very weak attraction. Conclusions: We find that the He-9 ground-state resonance has a negative parity and thus breaks the parity-inversion mechanism found in the Be-11 and Li-10 nuclei of the same N = 7 isotonic chain.

The only available electroweak measurement of the Pb-208 neutron skin Delta R-np, performed by the PREX-II Collaboration through polarized electron-lead scattering, shows a mild tension with respect to both the theoretical nuclear-model predictions and a host of measurements. However, the dependence on the weak mixing angle should be incorporated in the calculation, since its low-energy value is experimentally poorly known. We first repeat the PREX-II analysis confirming their measurement by fixing the weak mixing angle to its standard model value. Then, we show the explicit dependence of the PREX-II measurement on the weak mixing angle, obtaining that it is fully degenerate with the neutron skin. To break this degeneracy, we exploit the weak mixing angle measurement from atomic parity violation on lead, obtaining a slightly thinner neutron skin but with about doubled uncertainties, possibly easing the PREX tension. Relying on the theoretical prediction, Delta R-np(th) approximate to 0.13-0.19 fm, and using it as a prior in the fit, we find a weak mixing angle value about 1.2 sigma smaller than the standard model prediction. Thus, we suggest a possible solution of the PREX-II tension by showing that, considering its underlying dependence on the weak mixing angle, the PREX-II neutron skin determination could be in agreement with the other available measurements and predictions if the weak mixing angle at the proper energy scale is smaller than the standard model prediction.

We present the first ab initio calculations for open-shell nuclei past the tin isotopic line, focusing on Xe isotopes as well as doubly magic Sn isotopes. We show that, even for moderately hard interactions, it is possible to obtain meaningful predictions and that the NNLOsat, chiral interaction predicts radii and charge density distributions close to the experiment. We then make a new prediction for Sn-100. This paves the way for ab initio studies of exotic charge density distributions at the limit of the present ab initio mass domain, where experimental data is becoming available. The present study closes the gap between the largest isotopes reachable by ab initio methods and the smallest exotic nuclei accessible to electron scattering experiments.