Uniform neutron matter is approximated by a cubical box containing a finite number of neutrons, with periodic boundary conditions. We report variational and Green's function Monte Carlo calculations of the ground state of fourteen neutrons in a periodic box using the Argonne ${v8}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ two-nucleon interaction at densities up to one and half times the nuclear matter density. The effects of the finite box size are estimated using variational wave functions together with cluster expansion and chain summation techniques. They are small at subnuclear densities. We discuss the expansion of the energy of low-density neutron gas in powers of its Fermi momentum. This expansion is strongly modified by the large
nn scattering length, and does not begin with the Fermi-gas kinetic energy, as assumed in both Skyrme and relativistic mean field theories. The leading term of neutron gas energy is approximately half the Fermi-gas kinetic energy. The quantum Monte Carlo results are also used to calibrate the accuracy of variational calculations employing Fermi hypernetted and single operator chain summation methods to study nucleon matter over a larger density range, with more realistic Hamiltonians including three-nucleon interactions.
Recently, a realistic nucleon-nucleon potential has been developed with the goal of accurately reproducing isospin symmetry breaking effects in the nuclear interaction. We briefly discuss the motivation for this potential, called Argonne $v\sb{18},$ as well as the Urbana models of three-nucleon interactions. Our approach for modeling the ground states of nuclear systems begins with the development of a variational wave function. We discuss the basis for our variational wave functions and the Monte Carlo techniques used to evaluate expectation values with these wave functions. To determine the exact ground state, Green's function Monte Carlo (GFMC) techniques are used. We review the method of GFMC in general and then discuss its application to the problem of nuclear ground states in some detail.
We report ab initio calculations of the S wave pairing gap in neutron matter calculated using realistic nuclear Hamiltonians that include two- and three-body interactions. We use a trial state, properly optimized to capture the essential pairing correlations, from which we extract ground state properties by means of auxiliary field diffusion Monte Carlo simulations. We extrapolate our results to the thermodynamic limit by studying the finite-size effects in the symmetry-restored projected Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (PBCS) theory and compare our results to other ab initio studies done in the past. Our quantum Monte Carlo results for the pairing gap show a modest suppression with respect to the mean-field BCS values. These results can be connected to cold atom experiments, via the unitarity regime where fermionic superfluidity assumes a unified description, and they are important in the prediction of thermal properties and the cooling of neutron stars.
Ab initio calculations provide direct access to the properties of pure neutron systems that are challenging to study experimentally. In addition to their importance for fundamental physics, their properties are required as input for effective field theories of the strong interaction. In this work, we perform auxiliary-field diffusion Monte Carlo calculations of the ground state and first excited state of two neutrons in a finite box, considering a simple contact potential as well as chiral effective field theory interactions. We compare the results against exact diagonalizations and present a detailed analysis of the finite-volume effects, whose understanding is crucial for determining observables from the calculated energies. Using the L\"uscher formula, we extract the low-energy
S-wave scattering parameters from ground- and excited-state energies for different box sizes.
Variational calculations of the ground-state energy of hard-sphere, helium-4, Coulomb, and nuclear Yukawa fluids are carried out. The long-range part
v(r>d) and a constant part $\ensuremath{\lambda}$ at
r<d of the bare interaction are assumed to contribute to the average field. The correlation function
f(r) is obtained by minimizing the two-body cluster contribution due to the remainder interaction, and the distance
d is determined by minimizing the energy as calculated with the hierarchy of hypernetted-chain-type equations. The convergence of two- and three-particle distribution functions given by these equations is discussed. The method is shown to be exact in the low-density limit, and the comparison of the present results with the available exact (standard) results in the high-density limit (region) verifies its accuracy over the entire density range. It is shown that the variationally obtained value of
d in the high-density Coulomb fluid can be understood with conventional meanfield theory. A solidification criterion is obtained by studying the energies in liquid and solid phases with the present
f(r). This criterion explains the solidification of the Coulomb, hard-sphere, and helium systems, and the inability of the nuclear Yukawa system to solidify. The variational method in the form presented here could be very useful for studying complicated quantum systems.
In this thesis, I discuss the use of the Auxiliary Field Diffusion Monte Carlo method to compute the ground state of nuclear Hamiltonians, and I show several applications to interesting problems both in nuclear physics and in nuclear astrophysics. In particular, the AFDMC algorithm is applied to the study of several nuclear systems, finite, and infinite matter. Results about the ground state of nuclei (
4He,
8He,
16O and
40Ca), neutron drops (with 8 and 20 neutrons) and neutron rich-nuclei (isotopes of oxygen and calcium) are discussed, and the equation of state of nuclear and neutron matter are calculated and compared with other many-body calculations. The
1S0 superfluid phase of neutron matter in the low-density regime was also studied.