Three-neutron resonance study using transition operators

Abstract

Existing bound-state type calculations of three-neutron resonances yield contradicting results. A direct study of the three-neutron continuum using rigorous scattering equations with realistic potentials and search for possible resonances is aimed. Faddeev-type integral equations for three-neutron transition operators are solved in the momentum-space partial-wave framework. The evolution of resonances is studied by enhancing the strength of the two-neutron interaction in partial waves with nonzero orbital momentum. Calculated three-neutron transition operators exhibit resonant behavior for sufficiently large enhancement factors; pole trajectories in the complex-energy energy plane are extracted from their energy dependence. However, the resonant behavior completely disappears for the physical interaction strength. There are no physically observable three-neutron resonant states consistent with presently accepted interaction models.