Large-scale nuclear structure studies

Abstract

The problem of microscopic nuclear structure theory in large single particle basis\nsystems is reviewed. Several approaches are discussed, which attempt to approximate\nthe large model spaces numerically inaccessible in complete shell model expansions\nof the nuclear wavefunctions. All of them use symmetry projected Hartree-Fock-\nBogoliubov quasiparticle configurations as basic building blocks of the theory. They\ndiffer, however, in the degree of sophistication of the variational procedures which\nare used to determine the corresponding mean fields as well as the configuration mixing,\nup to a level, on which the construction of the configuration space itself is entirely left\nto the dynamics of the considered system. The mathematical formalism underlying\nthese models is briefly summarised and the steps towards a numerical realisation are\ndiscussed. In several examples the possibilities and the power of the models are\ndemonstrated and their limitations are shown. The models may provide a powerful\ntool for the analysis of experimental data as well as for predictions in still unexplored\nregions. On the other hand they may lead to a much better theoretical understanding\nof effective nuclear interactions as well as the underlying fundamental forces.