Quantum Monte Carlo methods for the nuclear shell model at finite temperature (Q5949216)

We discuss quantum Monte Carlo methods for solving the nuclear shell model at finite temperature. The methods are based on a formulation that describes the many-body propagator as a coherent superposition of non-interacting valence nucleons moving in fluctuating auxiliary fields. Using this approach we can carry our realistic calculations in much larger configuration spaces that can be solved by conventional methods. We present recent applications of the methods including the microscopic calculation of level densities and their parity distribution, and thermal signatures of the pairing transition in finite nuclei.