Zero-energy neutron-triton and proton-Helium-3 scattering with EFT(π{combining long solidus overlay})

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Zero-energy neutron-triton and proton-Helium-3 scattering with EFT(π{combining long solidus overlay})

Year : 2013

Source Title : Physics Letters, Section B: Nuclear, Elementary Particle and High-Energy Physics

Document Type :

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 triton binding energy as input, the predictions as(t-n)=9.2±2.6fm, at(t-n)=7.6±1.6fm, asC(He3-p)=3.6±0.32fm, and atC(He3-p)=3.1±0.23fm 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 400 MeV to 1.6 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. © 2013 Elsevier B.V.