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arXiv:1607.01509 · Physical Review A

Effective field theory for few-boson systems

Betzalel Bazak, Moti Eliyahu, U. van Kolck

Published Nov 1, 2016• 47 citations
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Abstract

We study universal bosonic few-body systems within the framework of effective field theory at leading order (LO). We calculate binding energies of systems of up to six particles and the atom-dimer scattering length. Convergence to the limit of zero-range two- and three-body interactions is shown, indicating that no additional few-body interactions need to be introduced at LO. Generalizations of the Tjon line are constructed, showing correlations between few-body binding energies and the binding energy of the trimer, for a given dimer energy. As a specific example, we implement our theory for $^{4}\mathrm{He}$ atomic systems and show that the results are in surprisingly good agreement with those of sophisticated $^{4}\mathrm{He}\text{\ensuremath{-}}^{4}\mathrm{He}$ potentials. Potential implications for the convergence of the EFT expansion are discussed.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.94.052502

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We study universal bosonic few-body systems within the framework of effective field theory at leading order (LO). We calculate binding energies of systems of up to six particles and the atom-dimer scattering length. Convergence to the limit of zero-range two- and three-body interactions is shown, indicating that no additional few-body interactions need to be introduced at LO. Generalizations of the Tjon line are constructed, showing correlations between few-body binding energies and the binding energy of the trimer, for a given dimer energy. As a specific example, we implement our theory for 4He^{4}\mathrm{He}4He atomic systems and show that the results are in surprisingly good agreement with those of sophisticated 4He\ensuremath-4He^{4}\mathrm{He}\text{\ensuremath{-}}^{4}\mathrm{He}4He\ensuremath-4He potentials. Potential implications for the convergence of the EFT expansion are discussed.
We develop an effective field theory (EFT) for strongly interacting bosonic clusters, using 4^44He as a paradigmatic example of universality in systems with large scattering length. At leading order (LO), two- and three-body zero-range interactions are entirely determined by the dimer and trimer ground-state energies. We show that ground-state energies for up to N=15N=15N=15 particles converge to cutoff-independent limits with extrapolation coefficients of natural size. At next-to-leading order (NLO), corrections stemming from the two-body interaction range and a four-body force, calibrated to the tetramer ground-state energy, reduce cutoff sensitivity. Close agreement with results from a realistic potential is found at LO and improved at NLO, demonstrating systematic convergence with few parameters at each order. The resulting EFT is directly applicable to larger clusters and bulk helium.
The role of an intrinsic four-body scale in universal few-boson systems is the subject of active debate. We study these systems within the framework of effective field theory. For systems of up to six bosons we establish that no four-body scale appears at leading order (LO). However, we find that at next-to-leading order (NLO) a four-body force is needed to obtain renormalized results for binding energies. With the associated parameter fixed to the binding energy of the four-boson system, this force is shown to renormalize the five- and six-body systems as well. We present an original ansatz for the short-distance limit of the bosonic A-body wave function from which we conjecture that new A-body scales appear at N^{A-3} LO. As a specific example, calculations are presented for clusters of helium atoms. Our results apply more generally to other few-body systems governed by a large scattering length, such as light nuclei and halo states, the low-energy properties of which are independent of the detailed internal structure of the constituents.
Three- and four-boson systems expanded around the unitarity limit: Application to 4^44He molecules
The three- and four-boson systems with a large scattering length and a short effective range in the two-body sector are studied in the framework of Short-Range Effective Field Theory (SREFT). The starting point (leading order) of the EFT is taken to be the universal unitarity limit, where the two-body sector is parameter-free and only one three-body parameter enters. In this limit, physical systems manifest discrete scale invariance. Deviations from universality arising from finite scattering-length and effective-range corrections, as well as a four-body force required by renormalization, are included perturbatively at next-to-leading order. The three-body ground state and its associated four-body ground and first-excited states are studied using the Faddeev-Yakubovsky (FY) formalism and a complementary diagrammatic approach. By employing techniques to remove contributions from deep trimers in tetramer calculations, we extend our analysis to larger cutoffs than previously accessible within the FY approach to SREFT. Our results for binding energies and radii of 4^44He three- and four-atom systems converge well to results obtained with sophisticated phenomenological potentials. These successes suggest that the physics of 4^44He atomic clusters is governed by only small deviations from discrete scale invariance.
We consider the nonrelativistic four-boson system with short-range forces and large scattering length in an effective quantum mechanics approach. We construct the effective interaction potential at leading order in the large scattering length and compute the four-body binding energies using the Yakubovsky equations. Cutoff independence of the four-body binding energies does not require the introduction of a four-body force. This suggests that two- and three-body interactions are sufficient to renormalize the four-body system. We apply the equations to 4He^{4}\mathrm{H}\mathrm{e}4He atoms and calculate the binding energy of the 4He^{4}\mathrm{H}\mathrm{e}4He tetramer. We observe a correlation between the trimer and tetramer binding energies similar to the Tjon line in nuclear physics. Over the range of binding energies relevant to 4He^{4}\mathrm{H}\mathrm{e}4He atoms, the correlation is approximately linear.
Effective Field Theory (EFT) provides a powerful framework that exploits a separation of scales in physical systems to perform systematically improvable, model-independent calculations. Particularly interesting are few-body systems with short-range interactions and large two-body scattering length. Such systems display remarkable universal features. In systems with more than two particles, a three-body force with limit cycle behavior is required for consistent renormalization already at leading order. We will review this EFT and some of its applications in the physics of cold atoms and nuclear physics. In particular, we will discuss the possibility of an infrared limit cycle in QCD. Recent extensions of the EFT approach to the four-body system and N-boson droplets in two spatial dimensions will also be addressed.
Effective Field Theory (EFT) provides a powerful framework that exploits a separation of scales in physical systems to perform systematically improvable, model‐independent calculations. Particularly interesting are few‐body systems with short‐range interactions and large two‐body scattering length. Such systems display remarkable universal features. In systems with more than two particles, a three‐body force with limit cycle behavior is required for consistent renormalization already at leading order. We will review this EFT and some of its applications in the physics of cold atoms and nuclear physics. In particular, we will discuss the possibility of an infrared limit cycle in QCD. Recent extensions of the EFT approach to the four‐body system and N‐boson droplets in two spatial dimensions will also be addressed.