Mean-field proton-neutron pairing correlations with the Gogny D1S energy density functional
Phys. Rev. C 114, 044301 – Published 1 October, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/sjy1-tshn
Abstract
We investigate proton-neutron () pairing correlations within a generalized Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov (HFB) framework using the Gogny D1S energy density functional. When mixing is allowed, large single-particle bases trigger numerical instabilities in Gogny D1S due to its zero-range density-dependent term contribution to the pairing field, whereas stable solutions are obtained with the Hamiltonian-based Brink-Boecker B1 interaction. Constrained HFB calculations in reduced spaces show that self-consistent minima with Gogny D1S systematically correspond to vanishing pairing with total energy rising rapidly as pairing correlations are introduced. Furthermore, particle-number restored calculations significantly flatten these HFB energy curves, inducing mixing across the collective coordinates within the variation after particle-number projection framework. These results provide key insights into the limitations and behavior of Gogny functionals under generalized HFB conditions, offering guidance for future functional re-parametrizations and beyond-mean-field studies.