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We investigate the thermopower and Lorenz number of hydrogen with Kohn-Sham density functional theory (DFT) across the plasma plane toward the near-classical limit, i.e., weakly degenerate and weakly coupled states. Our results are in concordance with certain limiting values for the Lorentz plasma, a model system which only considers electron-ion scattering. Thereby, we clearly show that the widely used method of calculating transport properties via the Kubo-Greenwood (KG) formalism does not capture electron-electron scattering processes. Our discussion also addresses the inadequateness of assuming a Drude-like frequency behavior for the conductivity of nondegenerate plasmas by revisiting the relaxation time approximation within kinetic theory.

Shell structure effects on $\ensuremath{\alpha}$-cluster formation and decay are studied by using the quartetting wave function approach (QWFA). Both the intrinsic and center-of-mass (c.o.m.) motions of an $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ cluster inside a core nucleus are investigated with different contributing shell model wave functions. The overlap between intrinsic wave functions of four nucleons in the $\ensuremath{\alpha}$-like quartet state and in a free $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ particle is analyzed in detail. The change of the effective potential describing the c.o.m. motion of the quartet is explicitly shown for the major shell closures $Z=82$ and $N=126$. It is found that both the $\ensuremath{\alpha}$-cluster formation probability and the half-life are sensitive to the quartet shell model states. By extending the QWFA calculations from $^{212}\mathrm{Po}$ to $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ emitters with one or two extra nucleons, we show that the bound state and scattering wave functions of the $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ cluster are changed accordingly. The calculated $\ensuremath{\alpha}$-decay half-lives agree nicely with the experimental data.

The fruitfulness of the method of a non-equilibrium statistical operator (NSO) and generalized linear response theory is demonstrated calculating the permittivity, dynamical conductivity, absorption coefficient, and dynamical collision frequency of plasmas in the degenerate, metallic state as well as classical plasmas. A wide range of plasma parameters is considered, and a wide range of frequencies of laser radiation acting on such plasmas is treated. New analytical expressions for the plasma response are obtained by this method, and several limiting cases are discussed.

The equation of state (EOS) for plasmas of the two lightest elements H and He, and mixtures as typical for the plasmas in the sun are calculated. The contributions of deep bound states are included by using inverted fugacity expansions. The inversion of fugacities to densities is reduced to solvable algebraic problems and expressed by rational polynomials. The calculation of relative pressures is carried out separately for low and high densities. Near the crossing point, in between, the separate solutions are connected to each other by smooth concatenation. Applications to hydrogen–helium plasmas in the sun including estimates for the isentropic EOS are discussed.

84 pags., 45 figs., 2 tabs., In this review are summarized about 20 years of theoretical research with applications in the field of many-body physics for strongly correlated fermions with Rowe's equation of motion (R-EOM) method and extended RPA equations. One major goal is to set up, via EOM, RPA equations with a correlated ground state. Since the correlations depend on the RPA amplitudes, it follows that RPA becomes a selfconsistency problem which is called Self-Consistent RPA (SCRPA). This then also improves very much the Pauli principle violated with standard RPA. The method was successfully applied to several non trivial problems, like the nuclear pairing Hamiltonian in the particle–particle channel (pp-RPA) and the Hubbard model of condensed matter. The SCRPA has several nice properties, as for instance, it can be formulated in such a way that all very appreciated qualities of standard RPA as, e.g., appearance of zero (Goldstone) modes in the case of broken symmetries, conservation laws, Ward identities, etc. are maintained. For the Goldstone mode an explicit example of a model case is presented. The formalism has its sound theoretical basis in the fact that an extension of the usual RPA operator has been found which exactly annihilates the Coupled Cluster Doubles (CCD) ground state wave function. This has been a longstanding problem for all RPA practitioners from the beginning. There exists a rather simplified version of SCRPA which is the so-called renormalized RPA (r-RPA) where only the correlated occupation numbers are involved in the selfconsistent cycle. Because its numerical solution is rather similar to standard RPA, it has known quite a number of applications, like beta and double beta decays, which are reviewed in this article. In this review also an extended version of second RPA (ERPA)is described. This ERPA maintains all appreciable properties of standard RPA. Several realistic applications for, e.g., the damping of giant resonances are presented. Another important aspect of the extended RPA-theories is that it can be formulated symmetry conserving replacing and eventually improving symmetry (e.g., number) projected mean field approaches. A practical application is given in the review. The EOM formalism allows to treat alpha clustering and alpha particle (quartet) condensation in nuclear matter. This EOM approach succeeded where earlier attempts have failed. It is, for instance, shown how the critical temperature for alpha particle condensation in symmetric and asymmetric nuclear matter can efficiently be calculated., D.S.D. was supported by the grant PN-18090101/2019–2021 of the Romanian Ministry of Education and Research, J.D. by the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovacion y Universidades and the European regional development fund (FEDER), Project No. PGC2018-094180-B-I00, G.R. by the German Research Foundation (DFG), Grant No. RO905/38-1, and E.L. by the US-NSF Career Grant PHY-1654379.

The nonlocalized clustering approach is generalized to $$^{8-11}$$ Be isotopes with isospin dependent spin–orbit potential. A new form of the Tohsaki-Horiuchi-Schuck-Ropke (THSR) wave function is introduced to provide a correct description for the $$\sigma $$ -binding neutron in $$^{11}$$ Be. Systematic calculations for $$^{8-11}$$ Be isotopes are performed and results fit well with experimental values. The low energy spectrum of $$^{11}$$ Be is also obtained, especially the correct spin-parity $$1/2^{+}$$ is reproduced for the intruder ground state. The exotic neutron halo structure of $$^{11}$$ Be is studied by calculations of root-mean-square radii and density distribution. The spectroscopic factor is also calculated and discussed for the $$1/2^+$$ ground state of $${}^{11}$$ Be.

The low-density limit of the electrical conductivity $\sigma(n,T)$ of hydrogen as the simplest ionic plasma is presented as function of temperature T and mass density n in form of a virial expansion of the resistivity. Quantum statistical methods yield exact values for the lowest virial coefficients which serve as benchmark for analytical approaches to the electrical conductivity as well as for numerical results obtained from density functional theory based molecular dynamics simulations (DFT-MD) or path-integral Monte Carlo (PIMC) simulations. While these simulations are well suited to calculate $\sigma(n,T)$ in a wide range of density and temperature, in particular for the warm dense matter region, they become computationally expensive in the low-density limit, and virial expansions can be utilized to balance this drawback. We present new results of DFT-MD simulations in that regime and discuss the account of electron-electron collisions by comparing with the virial expansion., Comment: Supplementary Material will be made available upon journal publication

The equations of state (EoS) and other thermodynamic properties of plasmas of the light elements H, He, and Li, are calculated using inverted fugacity expansions. Fugacity expansions are known as an alternative to density expansions but show often an inferior convergence. If, however, the inversion can be solved, the fugacity representations may be very efficient. In particular, the contributions of deeply bound states are included in the fugacity expansion in a very effective way. The mathematical problems on nonlinearity connected with the inversion of fugacities to densities are reduced to solvable algebraic problems. The inversion of fugacities to densities is solved separately for two density regions: (i) In the low density, non-degenerate region we consider ring contributions describing screening effects and ladder contributions describing bound state formation. (ii) In the high density, degenerate region the electrons are described by the Fermi–Dirac distribution. Hartree–Fock contributions and Pauli blocking have to be taken into account. The ions are considered as classical, strongly correlated subsystem eventually forming a Wigner lattice. We solve the inversion problem for each of the regions. Near the crossing point, the separate solutions are connected to each other, either by smooth concatenation at the crossing point or by Padé approximations.

The yields of light elements ($Z=1,2$) obtained from spontaneous ternary fission of $^{252}$Cf are treated within a nonequilibrium approach, and the contribution of unstable nuclei and excited bound states is taken into account. These light cluster yields may be used to probe dense matter, and to infer in-medium corrections. Continuum correlations are calculated from scattering phase shifts using the Beth-Uhlenbeck formula, and the effect of medium modification is estimated. The relevant distribution is reconstructed from the measured yields of isotopes. This describes the state of the nucleon system at scission and cluster formation, using only three Lagrange parameters which are the nonequilibrium counterparts of the temperature and chemical potentials, as defined in thermodynamic equilibrium. We concluded that a simple nuclear statistical equilibrium model neglecting continuum correlations and medium effects is not able to describe the measured distribution of H and He isotopes. Moreover, the freeze-out concept may serve as an important ingredient to the nonequilibrium approach using the relevant statistical operator concept., 13 pages, 1 figure

The composition of hot and dense nuclear matter is calculated including the $1p$-shell nuclei $4\ensuremath{\le}A\ensuremath{\le}16$. In-medium shifts, in particular Pauli blocking, are determined by the intrinsic wave function of the nuclei. Results are given within a shell-model approach for the nucleon wave function. Light nuclei are not always well described by the shell model. The ``clustered'' nucleus $^{8}\mathrm{Be}$ exhibits strong correlation effects because of $\ensuremath{\alpha}$-like clustering. Intrinsic cluster structures are also significant for the nuclei $^{6}\mathrm{Li}$, $^{7}\mathrm{Li}$, $^{7}\mathrm{Be}$, and $^{9}\mathrm{Be}$. The contribution of the relatively rare elements Li, Be, and B, to the equation of state (EoS) of matter near the saturation density is overestimated in simple approaches such as the nuclear statistical equilibrium (NSE) model. Both the treatment of continuum correlations and the account of in-medium modifications are considered for the contribution of $^{5}\mathrm{He}$ and $^{4}\mathrm{H}$ clusters. Compared to the extended NSE including unstable nuclei, the contributions of the corresponding ${P}_{3/2}$ channel with $A=5,Z=2$ and ${P}_{2}$ channel with $A=4,Z=1$, respectively, to the EoS are strongly suppressed at high densities owing to Pauli blocking effects. For the shifts of the binding energies of the light $p$-shell nuclei, simple-fit formula are given to calculate the composition of hot and dense matter in a wide parameter range.

We discuss recent progress in the development of the three-fluid hydrodynamics-based program THESEUS towards an event generator suitable for applications to heavy-ion collisions at the intermediate energies of the planned NICA and FAIR experiments. We follow the strategy that modifications of particle distributions at the freeze-out surface in the QCD phase diagram may be mapped directly to the observable ones within a sudden freeze-out scheme. We report first results of these investigations for the production of light clusters (deuterons and tritons) which can be compared to experimental data from the HADES and the NA49 experiment and for the interpretation of the "horn" effect observed in the collision energy dependence of the $K^+/\pi^+$ ratio. Medium effects on light cluster production in the QCD phase diagram are negligible at the highest NICA energies but shall play a dominant role at the lowest energies. A sharp "horn"-type signal in the $K^+/\pi^+$ ratio can be obtained when the onset of Bose condensation modelled by a pion chemical potential results in an enhancement of pions at low momenta (which is seen at LHC energies) and would occur already in the NICA energy range., Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, 3 references added, contribution to the Proceedings of "III NICA Days-2019 and IV MPD Collaboration Meeting", Warsaw, 21.-25.10.2019

One of the fundamental problems in physics that are not yet rigorously solved is the statistical mechanics of nonequilibrium processes. An important contribution to describing irreversible behavior starting from reversible Hamiltonian dynamics was given by D. N. Zubarev, who invented the method of the nonequilibrium statistical operator. We discuss this approach, in particular, the extended von Neumann equation, and as an example consider the electrical conductivity of a system of charged particles. We consider the selection of the set of relevant observables. We show the relation between kinetic theory and linear response theory. Using thermodynamic Green’s functions, we present a systematic treatment of correlation functions, but the convergence needs investigation. We compare different expressions for the conductivity and list open questions.

Within the generalized linear response theory, the dynamical conductivity of charged particle systems is obtained from equilibrium correlation functions. Using the force–force correlation function approach, interband transitions in addition to phonon interaction and umklapp processes are taken into account for warm dense matter. For solid-density aluminum and copper plasmas, the results are shown for dynamical collision frequency, dynamical conductivity, and opacity as functions of laser frequency accounting for interband absorption. Calculated opacities for aluminum plasmas are compared with results of first-principles density functional theory–molecular dynamic (DFT-MD) simulations and recent experiments. The problem of underestimating the size of opacities by theoretical models in the vicinity of the L edge is discussed.

Quartetting ( $$\alpha $$ -like clustering) occurs in low-density matter ( $${\le }0.03$$ fm $$^{-3}$$ ) which exists, e.g., at the surface of nuclei. It is of interest for the $$\alpha $$ preformation to calculate the $$\alpha $$ decay of heavy nuclei such as $$^{212}$$ Po, but also in light nuclei (e.g., $$^{20}$$ Ne) which shows strong signatures of quartetting. We analyze the intrinsic structure of the $$\alpha $$ -like cluster and the center-of-mass motion of the quartet, in particular the role of Pauli blocking. The Thomas–Fermi model for the (daughter) core nucleus is improved introducing quasiparticle nucleon states. Calculations performed for harmonic oscillator basis states show that the effective potential for the quartet center-of-mass motion remains nearly constant within the core nucleus. The relation to the (Tohsaki–Horiuchi–Schuck–Ropke) THSR approach is discussed.

A realistic description of partially-ionized matter in extreme thermodynamic states is critical to model the interior and evolution of the multiplicity of high-density astrophysical objects. Current predictions of its essential property, the ionization degree, rely widely on analytical approximations that have been challenged recently by a series of experiments. Here, we propose a novel ab initio approach to calculate the ionization degree directly from the dynamic electrical conductivity using the Thomas-Reiche-Kuhn sum rule. This Density Functional Theory framework captures genuinely the condensed matter nature and quantum effects typical for strongly-correlated plasmas. We demonstrate this new capability for carbon and hydrocarbon, which most notably serve as ablator materials in inertial confinement fusion experiments aiming at recreating stellar conditions. We find a significantly higher carbon ionization degree than predicted by commonly used models, yet validating the qualitative behavior of the average atom model Purgatorio. Additionally, we find the carbon ionization state to remain unchanged in the environment of fully-ionized hydrogen. Our results will not only serve as benchmark for traditional models, but more importantly provide an experimentally accessible quantity in the form of the electrical conductivity., accepted for publication in Physical Review Research

Ternary fission of actinides probes the state of the nucleus at scission. Light clusters are produced in space and time very close to the scission point. Within the nonequilibrium statistical operator method, a generalized Gibbs distribution is constructed from the information given by the observed yields of isotopes. Using this relevant statistical operator, yields are calculated taking excited states and continuum correlations into account, in accordance with the virial expansion of the equation of state. Clusters with mass number $A \le 10$ are well described using the nonequilibrium generalizations of temperature and chemical potentials. Improving the virial expansion, in-medium effects may become of importance in determining the contribution of weakly bound states and continuum correlations to the intrinsic partition function. Yields of larger clusters, which fail to reach this quasi-equilibrium form of the relevant distribution, are described by nucleation kinetics, and a saddle-to-scission relaxation time of about 7000 fm/c is inferred. Light charged particle emission, described by reaction kinetics and virial expansions, may therefore be regarded as a very important tool to probe the nonequilibrium time evolution of actinide nuclei during fission., Comment: 5 pages, 1 figure

Yields of equatorially emitted light isotopes, $1\le Z\le 14$, observed in ternary fission in the reaction $^{241}$Pu($n_{\rm th}$,f) are employed to determine apparent chemical equilibrium constants for low-temperature and low-density nuclear matter. The degree of liberation and role of medium modifications are probed through a comparison of experimentally derived reaction quotients with equilibrium constants calculated using a relativistic mean-field model employing a universal medium modification correction for the attractive $\sigma$ meson coupling. The results of these comparisons indicate that equilibrium is achieved for the lighter ternary fission isotopes. For the heavier isotopes experimental reaction quotients are well below calculated equilibrium constants. This is attributed to a dynamical limitation reflecting insufficient time for full equilibrium to develop. The role of medium effects leading to yield reductions is discussed as is the apparent enhancement of yields for $^8$He and other very neutron rich exotic nuclei., Comment: 8 pages, 2 figures

We discuss medium effects on light cluster production in the QCD phase diagram within a generalized Beth-Uhlenbeck (GBU) approach by relating Mott transition lines to those for chemical freeze-out. We find that in heavy-ion collisions at highest energies provided by the LHC light cluster abundances should follow the statistical model because of low baryon densities. At low energies in the nuclear fragmentation region, where the freeze-out interferes with the liquid-gas phase transition, selfenergy and Pauli blocking effects are important. At intermediate energies the HADES, FAIR and NICA experiments can give new information. The GBU approach provides new insights to strange hadron production in this energy domain for explaining the “horn” effects.

We present a microscopic calculation of $\alpha$-cluster formation in heavy nuclei $^{104}$Te ($\alpha$+$^{100}$Sn), $^{212}$Po ($\alpha$+$^{208}$Pb) and their neighbors $^{102}$Sn, $^{102}$Te, $^{210}$Pb and $^{210}$Po by using the quartetting wave function approach. Improving the local density approximation, the shell structure of the core nucleus is considered, and the center-of-mass (c.o.m.) effective potential for the quartet is obtained self-consistently from the shell model wavefunctions. The $\alpha$-cluster formation and decay probabilities are obtained by solving the bound-state of the c.o.m. motion of the quartet and the scattering state of the formed $\alpha$-cluster in the Gurvitz approach. Striking shell effects on the $\alpha$-cluster formation probabilities are analyzed for magic numbers 50, 82 and 126. The computed $\alpha$-decay half-lives of these special nuclei are compared with the newest experimental data., Comment: 16 pages, 4 figures

The present article investigates the role of heavy nuclear clusters and weakly bound light nuclear clusters based on a newly developed equation of state for core collapse supernova studies. A novel approach is brought forward for the description of nuclear clusters, taking into account the quasiparticle approach and continuum correlations. It demonstrates that the commonly employed nuclear statistical equilibrium approach, based on non-interacting particles, for the description of light and heavy clusters becomes invalid for warm nuclear matter near the saturation density. This has important consequences for studies of core collapse supernovae. To this end, we implement this nuclear equation of state provided for arbitrary temperature, baryon density and isospin asymmetry, to spherically symmetric core collapse supernova simulations in order to study the impact on the dynamics as well as on the neutrino emission. For the inclusion of a set of weak processes involving light clusters the rate expressions are derived, including medium modifications at the mean field level. A substantial impact from the inclusion of a variety of weak reactions involving light clusters on the post bounce dynamics nor on the neutrino emission could not be found., Comment: 24 pages, 9 figures

In order to study the nucleon-nucleon pairing effects in clustering nuclei, we formulate a superposed Tohsaki-Horiuchi-Schuck-R\"opke (THSR) wave function, which includes both molecular-orbit and pairing configurations explicitly. With this new wave function, we investigate the anomalous deuteronlike $pn$-pairing effect in $^{10}\mathrm{B}$ with $T=0$ and $S=1$ (isoscalar) by comparing with isovector $NN$ pairs $(T=1,S=0)$ in $^{10}\mathrm{Be}$ and $^{10}\mathrm{C}$. Energies are calculated for the ground states of $^{10}\mathrm{Be},^{10}\mathrm{B}$ and $^{10}\mathrm{C}$ nuclei, and the ${1}_{1}^{+}0$ excited state of $^{10}\mathrm{B}$. These energies are essentially improved comparing with studies using a previous version of THSR wave function. Furthermore, overlaps between the total wave function and the pairing component indicate that the $NN$ pairing effect is more visible in $^{10}\mathrm{B}$ than in $^{10}\mathrm{Be}$ and $^{10}\mathrm{C}$. By analyzing the energies and the overlaps between wave function components, we observe two different mechanisms enhancing the formation of deuteronlike pairs in $^{10}\mathrm{B}$. We also discuss the pairing effect by showing average distances between components in each nucleus and density distributions of valence nucleons.

The first ${3}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ and ${4}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ states of $^{12}\mathrm{C}$ are studied in the present container model, in which the shift parameter is introduced to break the parity symmetry for projecting out the negative-parity states. Taking the limit as the shift parameter approaches zero and by variational calculations for one-deformed size parameter, the local energy minima are obtained for the ${3}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ and ${4}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ states. It is found that the obtained single Tohsaki-Horiuchi-Schuck-R\"opke (THSR) wave functions for ${3}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ and ${4}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ states are 96% and 92% equivalent to the corresponding generator coordinate method (GCM) wave functions, respectively. The calculated intrinsic densities further show that these negative-parity states of three clusters, different from the traditional understanding of a rigid triangle structure, are found to have nonlocalized clustering structure in the two-dimensional container picture.

Dharma-wardana et al. [M. W. C. Dharma-wardana et al., Phys. Rev. E 96, 053206 (2017)2470-004510.1103/PhysRevE.96.053206] recently calculated dynamic electrical conductivities for warm dense matter as well as for nonequilibrium two-temperature states termed "ultrafast matter" (UFM) [M. W. C. Dharma-wardana, Phys. Rev. E 93, 063205 (2016)2470-004510.1103/PhysRevE.93.063205]. In this Comment we present two evident reasons why these UFM calculations are neither suited to calculate dynamic conductivities nor x-ray Thomson scattering spectra in isochorically heated warm dense aluminum. First, the ion-ion structure factor, a major input into the conductivity and scattering spectra calculations, deviates strongly from that of isochorically heated aluminum. Second, the dynamic conductivity does not show a non-Drude behavior which is an essential prerequisite for a correct description of the absorption behavior in aluminum. Additionally, we clarify misinterpretations by Dharma-wardana et al. concerning the conductivity measurements of Gathers [G. R. Gathers, Int. J. Thermophys. 4, 209 (1983)IJTHDY0195-928X10.1007/BF00502353].

$\ensuremath{\alpha}$ clustering in nuclei is considered with the quartet model (QM) where four valence nucleons (the quartet) move on the top of the core (daughter) nucleus. In the QM approach, it is assumed that the intrinsic wave function of the quartet is changed from the pure cluster configuration to the shell-model configuration when it crosses some critical radius and enters into the core nucleus. The QM approach could give not only the level scheme, the electromagnetic transition, and the nuclear radius but also the $\ensuremath{\alpha}$-cluster formation probability. Numerical results are calculated for $^{20}\mathrm{Ne}$, $^{44}\mathrm{Ti}$, and $^{212}\mathrm{Po}$, where a quartet moves on top of a double magic nucleus. Good agreement with experimental data and previous theoretical studies is obtained. The QM approach is a useful complement to the present phenomenological and microscopic models and could help deepen our understanding of $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ clustering across the nuclide chart.

Newly obtained experimental data for the reflectivity of Xenon plasmas at pressures of 10-12 GPa at large incident angles are analyzed. Using a Fermi-like density profile along the shock wave front, the reflectivity coefficients for the s and p - polarized waves were calculated. The influence of atoms which were taken into account at the level of collision frequency unique density prove to be crucial for the understanding of the reflection process. Subsequently, as physically expected, a profile is sufficient to obtain good agreement with the experimental data at all investigated optical laser frequencies. (© 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

New results of measurements of s- and p-polarized reflectivity of nonideal plasma at the frequency of the external electromagnetic field ν las = 2.83 × 1014 s−1, free-electron number density n e = 3.3 × 1021 cm−3 (Coulomb nonideal plasma parameter Γ = 1.2) and n e = 5.2 × 1021 cm−3 (Γ = 1.4) are presented. These data are the result of the next stage of study of optics of a warm dense matter. We present a microscopic approach to describe the entire set of experimental data on the optics of strongly correlated plasma.

The experimental data from investigations of optical properties of a strongly correlated plasma is an important cornerstone to construct theoretical models for the description of warm dense matter. The analysis of the response of a dense plasma to electromagnetic waves of moderate intensity can be used as a tool to investigate the validity of the physical models describing the behavior of matter under extreme conditions, high temperatures and pressures. The plasma created has transitive surfaces with a density profile. The research of the transitive layer of a explosively driven dense plasma can be carried out using the technique of inclined probing by polarized electromagnetic waves. Angular dependence of Sand P-polarized reflectivities at several wavelengths can be used in the integration of Maxwell equations to construct the spatial profile of the density of charge carriers. In this paper, we report new results of Sand P-polarized reflectivity measurements of a non-ideal plasma at νlas = 2.83·10 s (λlas = 1064 nm), νlas = 4.33·10 s (λlas = 694 nm) and νlas = 5.66·10 s (λlas = 532 nm). To generate the non-ideal plasma, we used explosively driven shock waves which lead to compression and irreversible heating of xenon and to measure the dense xenon plasma polarized reflectivity index, a pulsed RUBY and YAG+KTP system with a four-channel pulse high-speed device for determination of the Stokes vector components was used [1]. The device allowes to measure the intensity of the reflected laser beam for four azimuthal angles and was equipped with filters for selection of probing frequency. In order to determine the thermodynamic parameters and composition of plasma suitable calculations have been carried out. Working with a grand canonical ensemble, virial corrections have been taken into account due to charge-charge interactions (Debye approximation). Shortrange repulsion of heavy particles was considered within the framework of a soft sphere model [2-3]. In Figure 1, the experimental data and results of solving of Maxwell equations using the generalized Drude formula and the dynamical collision frequency in Born approximation [4] are shown. Results of calculations with layer temperature profile and ea-collisions as factor are shown in Figure 1 too.

The Mott effect describes the dissolution of bound states in a dense partially ionized plasma. It happens when the ionization potential depression, owing to effects of correlation and degeneracy, compensates the binding energy of the bound state. At high densities and moderate temperatures, the Pauli blocking becomes important and influences significantly the degree of ionization in the region of degenerate plasmas. A quantum statistical approach is used where the total density is decomposed in an uncorrelated, "free" part and correlations, as a consequence of the cluster decomposition of the self-energy. The contribution of correlations to the total density is given by bound states and continuum correlations. Exact solutions for a separable potential are compared to perturbation theory and numerical solutions of the in-medium Schr\"odinger equation. The in-medium scattering phase shifts are evaluated, and the role of continuum correlations is discussed. The Pauli blocking of bound states and the density of states are considered for warm dense matter conditions., Comment: 11 pages, 4 figures

Light and heavy clusters are calculated for asymmetric warm nuclear matter in a relativistic mean-field approach. In-medium effects, introduced via a universal cluster-meson coupling, and a binding energy shift contribution, calculated in a Thomas-Fermi approximation, were taken into account. This work considers, besides the standard lightest bound clusters $^4$He, $^3$He, $^3$H, and $^2$H, also stable and unstable clusters with higher number of nucleons, in the range $5\leq A \leq 12$, as it is natural that heavier clusters also form in core-collapse supernova matter, before the pasta phases set in. We show that these extra degrees of freedom contribute with non-negligible mass fractions to the composition of nuclear matter, and may prevail over deuterons and $\alpha$ particles at high density in strongly asymmetric matter, and not too high temperatures. The presence of the light clusters reduces the contribution of heavy clusters to a much smaller density range, and to a smaller mass fraction., Comment: 17 pages, 14 figures, accepted for publication in PRC

We show that, in anharmonic one-dimensional lattices, the pairing of electrons or holes in a localized bisoliton (called also bisolectron) state is possible due to a coupling between the charges and the lattice deformation that can overcome the Coulomb repulsion. We show that bisolitons are dynamically stable up to the sound velocities in lattices with cubic or quartic anharmonicities, and have finite values of energy and momentum in the whole interval of bisoliton velocities up to the sound velocity in the chain. We calculate the bisoliton binding energy and the critical value of Coulomb repulsion at which the bisoliton becomes unstable and decays into two independent electrosolitons. We estimate these energies for chain parameters that are typical of biological macromolecules and some quasi-one-dimensional conducting systems and show that the Coulomb repulsion in such systems is relatively weak as compared with the binding energy. Our analytical results are in a good agreement with the results of numerical simulations in a broad interval of the parameter values., В роботi показано можливiсть зв’язування двох електронiв або дiрок у локалiзованому бiсолiтонному станi, який називається також бiсолектроном, завдяки взаємодiї з локальною деформацiєю ангармонiчного ланцюжка, яка може перевищувати кулонiвське вiдштовхування мiж зарядами. Показано, що бiсолiтони є динамiчно стiйкими також при швидкостi, рiвнiй швидкостi звуку у ланцюжку, а їх енергiя та момент кiлькостi руху мають скiнченне значення в усьому iнтервалi швидкостей аж до швидкостi звуку. Розраховано енергiю зв’язування та критичне значення кулонiвськоговiдштовхування, при якому бiсолiтон розпадається на два вiльнi електросолiтони. Оцiнено значення цих величин для параметрiв, що типовi для макромолекул i деяких електропровiдних одновимiрних систем та показано, що кулонiвське вiдштовхування в них є достатньо слабким порiвняно з енергiєю зв’язування. Результати нашої аналiтичної моделi добре пояснюють результати чисельного моделювання в широкому iнтервалi параметрiв задачi.

In order to study the correlations between clusters and nucleons in light nuclei, we formulate a new superposed Tohsaki-Horiuchi-Schuck-R\"opke (THSR) wave function which describes both spatially large spreading and cluster-correlated dynamics of valence nucleons. Using this new THSR wave function, the binding energy of $^{9}\mathrm{B}$ is significantly improved in comparison with our previous studies. We calculate the excited states of $^{9}\mathrm{B}$ and obtain an energy spectrum of $^{9}\mathrm{B}$ which is consistent with the experimental results. This includes the prediction of the first $1/{2}^{+}$ excited state of $^{9}\mathrm{B}$ which is not yet fixed experimentally. We study the proton dynamics in $^{9}\mathrm{B}$ and find that the cluster-proton correlation plays an essential role for the proton dynamics in the ground state of $^{9}\mathrm{B}$. Furthermore, we discuss the density distribution of the valence proton with special attention to its tail structure. Finally, the resonance nature of excited states of $^{9}\mathrm{B}$ is illustrated comparing root-mean-square radii between the ground and excited states.

In-medium modifications of light cluster properties in warm stellar matter are studied within the relativistic mean-field approximation. In-medium effects are included by introducing an explicit binding energy shift analytically calculated in the Thomas-Fermi approximation, supplemented with a phenomenological modification of the cluster couplings to the $\sigma$ meson. A linear dependence on the $\sigma$ meson is assumed for the cluster mass, and the associated coupling constant is fixed imposing that the virial limit at low density is recovered. The resulting cluster abundances come out to be in reasonable agreement with constraints at higher density coming from heavy ion collision data. Some comparisons with microscopic calculations are also shown., Comment: 13 pages, 7 figures, 3 tables, accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. C

We estimate the chemical freeze-out of light nuclear clusters for NICA energies of above 2 A GeV. On the one hand we use results from the low energy domain of about 35 A MeV, where medium effects have been shown to be important to explain experimental results. On the high energy side of LHC energies the statistical model without medium effects has provided results for the chemical freeze-out. The two approaches extrapolated to NICA energies show a discrepancy that can be attributed to medium effects and that for the deuteron/proton ratio amounts to a factor of about three. These findings underline the importance of a detailed investigation of light cluster production at NICA energies., 10 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication in Phys. Part. Nucl. Lett

This report adresses topics and questions of common interest in the fields of ultra-cold gases and nuclear physics in the context of the BCS-BEC crossover. The BCS-BEC crossover has recently been realized experimentally, and essentially in all of its aspects, with ultra-cold Fermi gases. This realization, in turn, has raised the interest of the nuclear physics community in the crossover problem, since it represents an unprecedented tool to test fundamental and unanswered questions of nuclear many-body theory. Here, we focus on the several aspects of the BCS-BEC crossover, which are of broad joint interest to both ultra-cold Fermi gases and nuclear matter, and which will likely help to solve in the future some open problems in nuclear physics (concerning, for instance, neutron stars). Similarities and differences occurring in ultra-cold Fermi gases and nuclear matter will then be emphasized, not only about the relative phenomenologies but also about the theoretical approaches to be used in the two contexts. After an introduction to present the key concepts of the BCS-BEC crossover, this report discusses the mean-field treatment of the superfluid phase, both for homogeneous and inhomogeneous systems, as well as for symmetric (spin- or isospin-balanced) and asymmetric (spin- or isospin-imbalanced) matter. Pairing fluctuations in the normal phase are then considered, with their manifestations in thermodynamic and dynamic quantities. The last two Sections provide a more specialized discussion of the BCS-BEC crossover in ultra-cold Fermi gases and nuclear matter, respectively. The separate discussion in the two contexts aims at cross communicating to both communities topics and aspects which, albeit arising in one of the two fields, share a strong common interest., 91 pages, 51 figures

New facilities explore warm dense matter (WDM) at extreme conditions where the densities are very high (e.g., carbon up to density of 50 g cm$^{-3}$) so that electrons are degenerate even at 100 eV temperature. Whereas in the non-degenerate region correlation effects such as Debye screening and its improvements are relevant for the ionization potential depression (IPD), new effects have to be considered in degenerate plasmas. In addition to the Fock shift of the self-energies, the bound-state Pauli blocking becomes important with increasing density. Taking these degeneracy effects into account leads to a reduction of the ionization potential and to a higher degree of ionization. Standard approaches to IPD such as Stewart-Pyatt and widely used opacity tables (e.g., OPAL) do not contain Pauli blocking effects for bound states so that they fail to explain experiments with WDM in the high density region. As example, results for the ionization degree of carbon plasmas are presented., Comment: 15 pages, 3 figures

International audience; Light and heavy clusters are calculated for warm stellar matter in the framework of relativistic mean-field models, in the single-nucleus approximation. The cluster abundances are determined from the minimization of the free energy. In-medium effects of light cluster properties are included by introducing an explicit binding energy shift analytically calculated in the Thomas–Fermi approximation, and the coupling constants are fixed by imposing that the virial limit at low density is recovered. The resulting light cluster abundances come out to be in reasonable agreement with constraints at higher density coming from heavy-ion collision data. Some comparisons with microscopic calculations are also shown.

Light cluster production at the NICA accelerator complex offers unique possibilities to use these states as “rare probes” of in-medium characteristics such as phase space occupation and early flow. In order to explain this statement, in this contribution theoretical considerations from the nuclear statistical equilibrium model and from a quantum statistical model of cluster production are supplemented with a discussion of a transport model for light cluster formation and with results from hydrodynamic simulations combined with the coalescence model.