Scalar ground-state observables in the random phase approximation

We calculate the ground-state expectation value of scalar observables in the matrix formulation of the random phase approximation (RPA). Our expression, derived using the quasiboson approximation, is a straightforward generalization of the RPA correlation energy. We test the reliability of our expression by comparing against full diagonalization in 0 h-bar omega shell-model spaces. In general the RPA values are an improvement over mean-field (Hartree-Fock) results, but are not always consistent with shell-model results. We also consider exact symmetries broken in the mean-field state and whether or not they are restored in RPA.