English

Zero-energy neutron-triton and proton-Helium-3 scattering with \eftnopi

Nuclear Theory 2011-05-20 v1 Nuclear Experiment

Abstract

Model-independent constraints for the neutron-triton and proton-Helium-3 scattering lengths are calculated with a leading-order interaction derived from an effective field theory without explicit pions. Using the singlet neutron-proton scattering length, the deuteron, and the triton binding energy as input, the predictions \ants=9.2±2.6\ants=9.2\pm2.6 fm, \antt=7.6±1.6\antt=7.6\pm1.6 fm, \aphes=3.6±0.32\aphes=3.6\pm0.32 fm, and \aphet=3.1±0.23\aphet=3.1\pm 0.23 fm are obtained. The calculations employ the resonating group method and include the Coulomb interaction when appropriate. The theoretical uncertainty is assessed via a variation of the regulator parameter of the short-distance interaction from 400400 MeV to 1.61.6 GeV. The phase-shift and scattering-length results for the proton-Helium-3 system are consistent with a recent phase shift analysis and with model calculations. For neutron-triton, the results for the scattering lengths in both singlet and triplet channels are significantly smaller than suggested by R-matrix and partial-wave-analysis extractions from data. For a better understanding of this discrepancy, the sensitivity of the low-energy four-body scattering system to variations in the neutron-neutron and proton-proton two-nucleon scattering lengths is calculated. Induced by strong charge-symmetry-breaking contact interactions, this dependence is found insignificant. In contrast, a strong correlation between the neutron-triton scattering length and the triton binding energy analogous to the Phillips line is found.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1105.3763,
  title  = {Zero-energy neutron-triton and proton-Helium-3 scattering with \eftnopi},
  author = {Johannes Kirscher},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1105.3763},
  year   = {2011}
}

Comments

6 pages, 3 figures, 1 table, submitted to Phys. Lett. B