Variational Monte Carlo for Microscopic Cluster Models

We examine the application of the Variational Monte Carlo (VMC) method to a cluster model for halo nuclei. Particular attention is paid to the error estimate in the presence of correlations in the underlying random walk. We analyse the required steps for a reliable application of the VMC in the case of a complicated many-body problem such as the direct solution of the nuclear hamiltonian with realistic interactions. We also examine the possibility of variance reduction through the `zero variance principle', paying particular attention to the complexity of the many-body problem.