Self-consistent mean-field models are a standard tool to describe and predict properties of atomic nuclei. Furthermore, they are the only fully microscopic models that can be systematically applied to heavy nuclei. Typical applications include binding energies, radii, deformations, the mapping of deformation energy surfaces, single-particle spectra, and rotational bands. Despite its successes, the mean-field approach has some well-known limitations, in particular for light nuclei and soft transitional nuclei. It also gives only very limited access to excited states. In this talk, I will motivate and outline a systematic and consistent way to go beyond mean-field approaches to include long-range correlations related to symmetry restoration and shape fluctuations into the modeling. Examples for applications of the model will include the collective excitation spectra of selected medium and heavy nuclei, and a study of the influence of long-range correlations on the systematics of nuclear masses.

ANL Physics Division Seminar Schedule