Monte Carlo Studies of Light Nuclei: Structure and Response

Abstract

Monte Carlo methods based upon Euclidean path integrals can be used to study both structure and dynamics in few-body nuclei. Traditionally, these methods have been used in the limit of long imaginary time to extract information about low-lying states of light nuclei. Much intriguing dynamics, though, is present in the short time propagators. We briefly review some nuclear structure results, including bound-state results for A=4 and low-energy scattering for A=5. We stress recent developments related to inclusive processes, in particular calculations of the longitudinal and transverse response functions measured in electron scattering experiments. Calculations performed during the last year offer a much clearer picture of nuclear dynamics. In particular, they reproduce the observed quenching in the longitudinal to transverse response ratio, and the relative shift of strength to higher energies between the isoscalar and isovector responses probed in hadronic reactions.