International Journal of Modern Physics E

We present an overview of recent efforts to calculate the interactions among hadrons using lattice QCD. After outlining the techniques that are used to extract scattering parameters, we detail the latest calculations of meson–meson scattering, baryon–baryon scattering and multi-meson systems obtained with domain-wall valence quarks on the staggered MILC lattices by the NPLQCD collaboration. Estimates of the computational resources required to achieve precision results in the baryon sector are presented.

We describe azimuth structure commonly associated with elliptic and directed flow in the context of 2D angular autocorrelations for the purpose of precise separation of so-called nonflow (mainly minijets) from flow. We extend the Fourier-transform description of azimuth structure to include power spectra and autocorrelations related by the Wiener–Khintchine theorem. We analyze several examples of conventional flow analysis in that context and question the relevance of reaction plane estimation to flow analysis. We introduce the 2D angular autocorrelation with examples from data analysis and describe a simulation exercise which demonstrates precise separation of flow and nonflow using the 2D autocorrelation method. We show that an alternative correlation measure based on Pearson's normalized covariance provides a more intuitive measure of azimuth structure.

The position of the neutron and proton drip-lines as well as properties of the isotopes Fe, Ni and Zn with neutron excess and neutron deficit are studied within the Hartree–Fock approach with the Skyrme interaction (Ska, SkM*, Sly4). The pairing is taken into account on the basis of the BCS approach with the pairing constant G = (19.5/A)[1 ± 0.51(N-Z)/A]. Our calculations predict that for Ni isotopes around N = 62 there appears a sudden increase of the deformation parameter up to β = 0.4. The zone with such big deformation, where Ni isotopes are stable against one neutron emission stretches up to N = 78. The magic numbers effects for the isotopes ⁴⁸Ni, ⁵⁶Ni, ⁷⁸Ni, ¹¹⁰Ni are discussed. The universality of the reasons standing behind the enhancement of stability of the isotopes ⁴⁰O and ¹¹⁰Ni which are beyond the drip-line is demonstrated. Calculated values of the two-neutron separation energy, and proton and neutron root mean square radii for the chain of Ni isotopes show a good agreement with existing Hartree–Fock–Bogoliubov calculations of these values.

We investigate the effect of the scalar-isovector δ-meson field on the equation of state (EOS) and composition of hyperonic neutron star matter, and the properties of hyperonic neutron stars within the framework of the relativistic mean field theory. The influence of the δ-field turns out to be quite different and generally weaker for hyperonic neutron star matter as compared to that for npeμ neutron star matter. We find that inclusion of the δ-field enhances the strangeness content slightly and consequently moderately softens the EOS of neutron star matter in its hyperonic phase. As for the composition of hyperonic star matter, the effect of the δ-field is shown to shift the onset of the negatively-charged (positively-charged) hyperons to slightly lower (higher) densities and to enhance (reduce) their abundances. The influence of the δ-field on the maximum mass of hyperonic neutron stars is found to be fairly weak, whereas inclusion of the δ-field turns out to enhance sizably both the radii and the moments of inertia of neutron stars with given masses. It is also shown that the effects of the δ-field on the properties of hyperonic neutron stars remain similar in the case of switching off the Σ hyperons.

The superheavy nucleus ²⁹⁴118 and its α-decay chain have been investigated systematically in the relativistic mean-field (RMF) theory with the interactions NL3, TMA, PK1 and NLZ. The properties of ground state have been described well with the binding energies per nucleon and α-decay energies, which are reproduced as compared with the experimental data. It shows that the RMF theory is effective for studying not only the stable nuclei but also the superheavy nuclei presented here. In particular, the prolate shape predicted in the ground state of these superheavy nuclei is in agreement with the experimental data as well as other theoretical calculations.

The total and partial production cross-sections of the multiple helium fragments emitted in 10.7A GeV¹⁹⁷Au–emulsion interactions are reported and compared with those obtained from different projectiles at high energies. The multiplicity distributions of the helium fragments exhibit a KNO scaling. The dependence of C_q moments and 〈n_α〉 on the mass number of the incident beams is plotted.

Exact solutions of Schrödinger equation are obtained for the modified Kratzer and the corrected Morse potentials with the position-dependent effective mass. The bound state energy eigenvalues and the corresponding eigenfunctions are calculated for any angular momentum for target potentials. Various forms of point canonical transformations are applied.

We calculate the thermodynamic properties of strange quark matter by using the density and temperature dependent particle mass model of Wen et al. For the interaction Hamiltonian we use the one gluon exchange interaction obtained from the Fermi liquid picture. We let the QCD coupling (α_c) be constant or vary with density and temperature. A new set of mass scalings for quarks is evaluated from the present interaction, which can be used with thermodynamic formulas derived by Wen et al. Similar to β-stable matter, no stability is found in strange quark matter. Finally, it is shown that the present equation of state of strange quark matter becomes harder with respect to that obtained using the string model, specially with non-constant QCD coupling.

The variation of the two-neutron separation energy (S_2N), as a function of the neutron number N, is studied using a microscopic model that includes the pairing effects rigorously within the Fixed-Sharp-BCS method. The model was first tested on "ordinary" nuclei and allowed one to suitably reproduce the experimental data and to confirm the results of previous studies. The model was then applied to the even–even neutron-rich isotopes in the rare-earth region and showed, on the one hand, a relatively important variation of S_2N, when N = 100, that could lead to the assumption of the existence of a new magic number in this region, and on the other hand, a weak variation of S_2N when N > 100. These findings corroborate the previously obtained results for the charge mean square radius and the quadrupole and hexadecapole moments within the same model.