Critical Temperature for $\alpha$-Particle Condensation within a Momentum Projected Mean Field Approach

Abstract

Alpha-particle (quartet) condensation in homogeneous spin-isospin symmetric nuclear matter is investigated. The usual Thouless criterion for the critical temperature is extended to the quartet case. The in-medium four-body problem is strongly simplified by the use of a momentum projected mean field ansatz for the quartet. The self-consistent single particle wave functions are shown and discussed for various values of the density at the critical temperature.