About me:
My name is Francesca Bonaiti, and I come from Italy. Since June 2020, I am pursuing my PhD at Johannes-Gutenberg University in Mainz, Germany, working in Sonia Bacca’s group.
My research activity focuses on constraining the nuclear matter equation of state starting from electromagnetic properties of finite nuclei. In particular, I am interested in studying the electric dipole polarizability, which exhibits a correlation to the slope parameter of the symmetry energy, and it is an expression of the collective excitations of the nucleus at low energy. Working in coupled-cluster theory, I am contributing to extend the reach of ab initio calculations of this observable across the nuclear chart, from light neutron-rich to open-shell medium-mass nuclei.
Seminar Title:
Constraining the nuclear matter equation of state: the role of the dipole polarizability
Seminar Date:
June 20th, 2023
Abstract:
Neutron stars are fascinating astrophysical objects where matter reaches extremely high density conditions. Their structure, dynamics and composition are governed by the nuclear matter equation of state, which can be investigated in laboratory experiments targeting properties of atomic nuclei. In particular, studies of the electric dipole polarizability across the nuclear chart play a significant role in understanding bulk properties of nuclei, as this quantity is strongly correlated to parameters entering the nuclear matter equation of state.
This observable can be computed in an ab initio framework taking advantage of the LIT-CC method. This approach is based on merging the Lorentz Integral Transform (LIT) technique, that allows a proper treatment of the continuum problem, with the mild computational scaling characterizing Coupled-Cluster (CC) theory with increasing mass number.
In this talk, I will discuss recent coupled-cluster computations of the dipole polarizability encompassing light neutron-rich [1, 2] and closed-shell medium-mass nuclei [3], and compare them to experimental data. Moreover, I will present new theoretical developments allowing to extend the reach of the LIT-CC method to open-shell nuclei.
[1] F. Bonaiti, S. Bacca, G. Hagen, Ab-initio coupled-cluster calculations of ground and dipole excited states in 8He, Phys. Rev. C 105, 034313 (2022).
[2] B. Acharya, S. Bacca, F. Bonaiti et al., Uncertainty quantification in electromagnetic observables of nuclei, Front. In Phys. 10:1066035 (2023).
[3] R. W. Fearick, P. von Neumann-Cosel, S. Bacca, J. Birkhan, F. Bonaiti et al., in preparation.