During the last decades, the extensive use of covariant density functional theory with a minimal number of parameters has enabled a successful description of the properties of nuclear ground and excited states all over the nuclear chart. In order to describe the properties of unstable, exotic nuclei, the contribution of the continuum and its coupling with the bound states must be treated properly. Furthermore, the possible impact of deformation needs to be taken into account. In this talk, the development of covariant density functional theory in the continuum will be introduced, including relativistic continuum Hartree-Bogoliubov theory with the Green’s function method, relativistic Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov theory, and deformed relativistic Hartree-Bogoliubov theory in the continuum. Based on these theories, the description and prediction of neutron halo phenomena in both spherical and deformed nuclei, the diffuseness of the nuclear potential, nuclear shapes and density distributions, shape decoupling in deformed halo nuclei, and the impact on the nuclear size of pairing correlations will be reviewed.

Argonne Physics Division Seminar Schedule