Factorization of shell-model ground-states

Abstract

We present a new method that accurately approximates the shell-model ground-state by products of suitable states. The optimal factors are determined by a variational principle and result from the solution of rather low-dimensional eigenvalue problems. The power of this method is demonstrated by computations of ground-states and low-lying excitations in sd-shell and pf-shell nuclei.

Comments: 5+epsilon pages, 5 eps-figures. Main additions: wave-function overlaps, angular momentum expectation values, application to Ni56. To be published as Rapid Communication in PRC