Neutron matter, through its connection to neutron stars as well as systems such as cold atom gases, is one of the most interesting yet computationally accessible systems in nuclear physics. The configuration-interaction Monte Carlo (CIMC) method is a stochastic many-body technique allowing us to tackle strongly coupled systems. In contrast to other quantum Monte Carlo methods employed in nuclear physics, the CIMC method can be formulated directly in momentum space allowing for an efficient use of nonlocal interactions. In this work we extend CIMC method to include three-nucleon interactions through the normal-ordered two-body approximation. We present results for the equation of state of neutron matter in line with other many-body calculations that employ low-resolution chiral interactions, and provide predictions for the momentum distribution and the static structure factor.

• Received 7 December 2022
• Accepted 7 March 2023

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.107.044303