Project Description
The problem of few-body interactions in the presence of external confining potentials is motivated by recent advances in both experimental atomic physics and theory. Many realistic confining potentials, such as optical traps, are well approximated by a harmonic form (elastic potential). Increasing the number of interacting particles from two to three or more involves a tremendous leap in the complexity of the theoretical description. In this project, students will work on extending the Gaussian Expansion Method (GEM) to study strongly interacting three-body systems in a harmonic trap. The GEM is a variational technique that approximates the wave function using a superposition of Gaussian basis functions. Building on established two-body results, where universal behavior emerges near the unitary limit, this project will investigate how three-body correlations arise and how Coulomb interactions lead to a breakdown of universality. Students will gain hands-on experience solving the few-body Schrödinger equation numerically, analyzing the energy spectrum, and interpreting results in a broader physics context.
Prerequisites
PHYS 210 – Modern Physics
Special Comments
Project Information (subject to change)
Estimated Start Date: 6/8/2026
Estimated End Date: 7/31/2026
Estimated Project Duration: 8 weeks
Maximum Number of Students Sought: 2
Research Location: Hybrid
Travel Required? No (If “yes”: )
Contact Information: Son Nguyen (email: snguyen@wlu.edu)