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arxiv: 2606.07465 · v1 · pith:EHPDDUI7new · submitted 2026-06-05 · ⚛️ nucl-th

Proton and Neutron Elastic Scattering on He Targets from textit{Ab Initio} SA-NCSM Optical Potentials

Pith reviewed 2026-06-27 20:18 UTC · model grok-4.3

classification ⚛️ nucl-th
keywords ab initio optical potentialselastic scatteringhelium targetsSA-NCSMGreen's functionnucleon-nucleus potentialslow-energy scattering
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The pith

Ab initio optical potentials from SA-NCSM/GF reproduce experimental proton and neutron scattering data on helium targets at low energies.

A machine-rendered reading of the paper's core claim, the machinery that carries it, and where it could break.

The paper constructs nucleon-nucleus optical potentials for 3He, 4He, and 6He targets using an ab initio method that combines the symmetry-adapted no-core shell model with Green's function techniques. It extends the framework to proton scattering and targets with nonzero spin. The resulting potentials are nonlocal, energy-dependent, and dispersive. They match measured differential cross sections and phase shifts for both proton and neutron elastic scattering without additional adjustments. This approach targets the low-energy regime relevant to astrophysics and exotic nuclei where data is scarce.

Core claim

The SA-NCSM/GF optical potentials for 3,4,6He targets reproduce experimental differential cross sections and phase shifts for proton and neutron elastic scattering remarkably well, yielding nonlocal, energy-dependent, and dispersive potentials suitable for low energies and exotic nuclei.

What carries the argument

The SA-NCSM/GF approach, which combines the symmetry-adapted no-core shell model with the Green's function technique to generate optical potentials from first principles.

If this is right

  • The potentials apply directly to low-energy scattering without phenomenological adjustments.
  • They provide predictions for exotic nuclei where experiments are difficult.
  • The method yields nonlocal and energy-dependent forms that incorporate dispersion relations.
  • Extension to nonzero-spin targets enables broader use in nuclear reaction calculations.

Where Pith is reading between the lines

These are editorial extensions of the paper, not claims the author makes directly.

  • Similar constructions could supply optical potentials for other light nuclei beyond the helium chain.
  • The approach may reduce dependence on fitted global potentials in reaction modeling for astrophysical processes.
  • Testing on additional observables like reaction cross sections could further validate the potentials.

Load-bearing premise

The SA-NCSM/GF framework, after extension to proton scattering and nonzero-spin targets, accurately captures the relevant many-body dynamics and produces potentials that can be compared directly to data.

What would settle it

A comparison in which the calculated differential cross sections or phase shifts for proton or neutron scattering on one of the 3,4,6He targets deviate substantially from experimental measurements at low energies.

Figures

Figures reproduced from arXiv: 2606.07465 by Daniel Langr, Darin C. Mumma, Kristina D. Launey, Matthew B. Burrows, Tomas Dytrych.

Figure 1
Figure 1. Figure 1: Differential cross section vs. projectile scattering angle in the CM frame for the reactions (a) 4 [PITH_FULL_IMAGE:figures/full_fig_p004_1.png] view at source ↗
Figure 2
Figure 2. Figure 2: 2S1/2, 2P1/2, 2P3/2, and 2D3/2 phase shifts for the reaction 4He(p, p)4He as a function of the scattering energy in the CM frame using the ab initio SA-NCSM/GF, compared with the NCSM/RGM theoretical approach in Ref. [18] and experimentally deduced results [53]. Calculations use Nmax = 13, ϵ = 0 MeV, and ℏΩ = 12−20 MeV, with ℏΩ = 12 MeV indicated by a dashed line. with earlier theoretical calculations for … view at source ↗
Figure 3
Figure 3. Figure 3: Angle-integrated cross section vs. scattering energy [PITH_FULL_IMAGE:figures/full_fig_p006_3.png] view at source ↗
Figure 4
Figure 4. Figure 4: Translationally invariant nonlocal 4He(p, p)4He optical potential for the eight S, P, D, F, and G partial waves, calculated in the ab initio SA-NCSM/GF for ECM = 5.0 MeV with Nmax = 13, ϵ = 0 MeV, and ℏΩ = 16 MeV. 0 26 52 78 104 130 µCM (deg.) 10 -1 10 0 10 1 10 2 10 3 d ¾ = d ­ d ¾ = d ­ R Elab = 2 MeV Elab = 8 MeV 1 2 3 2 5 2 7 2 Jmax = 1 2 Jmax = 3 2 Jmax = 5 2 Jmax = 7 2 [PITH_FULL_IMAGE:figures/full_… view at source ↗
Figure 5
Figure 5. Figure 5: Differential cross sections for 4He(p, p)4He calcu￾lated under the same conditions as those in Fig. 1b but trun￾cated to various Jmax. For example, calculations truncated to Jmax = 3 2 include the partial waves 2S1/2, 2P1/2, 2P3/2, 2D3/2 (dashed curves) while calculations truncated to Jmax = 7 2 also include 2D5/2, 2F5/2, 2F7/2, and 2G7/2 (dotted curves). The curves for Jmax ≥ 3 2 are practically indisting… view at source ↗
Figure 6
Figure 6. Figure 6: Energy of the (a) 1 2 + ground state of 3H, (b) 0+ ground state of 4He, (c) 5Li 3 2 − ground state, and (d) the 5Li 1 2 − resonance with respect to Nmax across several ℏΩ values (in units of MeV). The extrapolated values across all ℏΩ are given as a band with a centroid in the middle of the band, while the experimental energies are shown as a dashed line. tion and nonzero total angular momentum of the targ… view at source ↗
read the original abstract

We construct and discuss $\textit{ab initio}$ nucleon-nucleus optical potentials at low energies for $^{3,4,6}$He targets. In this work, we use the $\textit{ab initio}$ SA-NCSM/GF approach that combines the $\textit{ab initio}$ symmetry-adapted no-core shell model with the Green's function technique to construct optical potentials, and extend this formulation to proton scattering and targets with nonzero spin. We show that these optical potentials reproduce experimental differential cross sections and phase shifts for proton and neutron elastic scattering remarkably well. The $\textit{ab initio}$ SA-NCSM/GF approach provides nonlocal, energy dependent and dispersive optical potentials, suitable for the astrophysically relevant regime of low energies and for exotic nuclei, where experiments are difficult and data is often unavailable.

Editorial analysis

A structured set of objections, weighed in public.

Desk editor's note, referee report, simulated authors' rebuttal, and a circularity audit. Tearing a paper down is the easy half of reading it; the pith above is the substance, this is the friction.

Referee Report

1 major / 0 minor

Summary. The manuscript constructs ab initio optical potentials for low-energy proton and neutron elastic scattering on ^{3,4,6}He targets by combining the symmetry-adapted no-core shell model (SA-NCSM) with the Green's function (GF) technique. The formulation is extended to proton scattering and nonzero-spin targets. The central claim is that the resulting nonlocal, energy-dependent, dispersive potentials reproduce experimental differential cross sections and phase shifts remarkably well in a parameter-free manner, making them suitable for astrophysically relevant regimes and exotic nuclei.

Significance. If the reproduction of data holds under quantitative scrutiny, the work supplies a first-principles route to optical potentials without adjustable parameters. This is valuable for light nuclei and for systems where data are scarce, and the explicit extension to protons and nonzero spin broadens the method's reach. The parameter-free character and direct data comparisons (once examined) are strengths.

major comments (1)
  1. [Abstract] Abstract: the assertion that the potentials 'reproduce experimental differential cross sections and phase shifts ... remarkably well' supplies no quantitative metrics, error bars, or comparison details. The results section must be checked for explicit figures/tables with data overlays, χ^{2} values, or percentage deviations to substantiate the central claim; without these the strength of the reproduction cannot be assessed.

Simulated Author's Rebuttal

1 responses · 0 unresolved

We thank the referee for their review and the opportunity to address this point. We respond to the single major comment below.

read point-by-point responses
  1. Referee: [Abstract] Abstract: the assertion that the potentials 'reproduce experimental differential cross sections and phase shifts ... remarkably well' supplies no quantitative metrics, error bars, or comparison details. The results section must be checked for explicit figures/tables with data overlays, χ² values, or percentage deviations to substantiate the central claim; without these the strength of the reproduction cannot be assessed.

    Authors: The abstract is intended as a concise summary. The results sections (III and IV) contain the detailed comparisons: multiple figures overlay the calculated differential cross sections directly on experimental data points for p+³,⁴,⁶He and n+³,⁴,⁶He at several energies below 20 MeV, and additional figures or tables compare the corresponding phase shifts. These overlays demonstrate the level of agreement that justifies the phrasing 'remarkably well.' We have not computed or reported χ² values or percentage deviations, as the work emphasizes the parameter-free construction rather than statistical fitting metrics. We are prepared to add a brief quantitative statement (e.g., typical deviation ranges) to the abstract or results if the referee considers it necessary. revision: partial

Circularity Check

0 steps flagged

No significant circularity detected

full rationale

The paper constructs ab initio optical potentials via the SA-NCSM/GF method (extended to protons and nonzero-spin targets) and directly compares the resulting nonlocal, energy-dependent potentials to experimental cross sections and phase shifts. No load-bearing step reduces by construction to a fit, self-definition, or self-citation chain; the reported agreement with data is presented as an external validation of the parameter-free framework rather than an input. The derivation chain remains self-contained against the stated many-body inputs and the Green's function formalism.

Axiom & Free-Parameter Ledger

0 free parameters · 0 axioms · 0 invented entities

Abstract-only review yields no concrete information on free parameters, axioms, or invented entities; the method is presented as ab initio without enumeration of adjustable quantities or background assumptions.

pith-pipeline@v0.9.1-grok · 5687 in / 1152 out tokens · 22945 ms · 2026-06-27T20:18:55.436257+00:00 · methodology

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Reference graph

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