Correlations and spectral functions in asymmetric nuclear matter

Abstract

The self-energy of nucleons in asymmetric nuclear matter is evaluated employing different realistic models for the nucleon-nucleon interaction. Starting from the Brueckner-Hartree-Fock approximation without the usual angle average in the two-nucleon propagator the effects of the hole-hole contributions are investigated within the self-consistent Green's function approach. Special attention is paid to the isospin dependence of correlations, which can be deduced from the spectral functions of nucleons in asymmetric matter. The strong components of the proton-neutron interaction lead in neutron-rich matter to a larger depletion for the occupation probability of proton states below the Fermi momentum.