Density Matrix Expansion for Low-Momentum Interactions

A first step toward a universal nuclear energy density functional based on low-momentum interactions is taken using the density matrix expansion (DME) of Negele and Vautherin. The DME is adapted for non-local momentum-space potentials and generalized to include local three-body interactions. Different prescriptions for the three-body DME are compared. Exploratory results are given at the Hartree-Fock level, along with a roadmap for systematic improvements within an effective action framework for Kohn-Sham density functional theory.