Deuteron distribution in nuclear matter

We analyze the properties of deuteron-like structures in infinite, correlated nuclear matter, described by a realistic hamiltonian containing the Urbana nu(14) two-nucleon and the Urbana TNI many-body potentials. The distribution of neutron-proton pairs, carrying the deuteron quantum numbers, is obtained as a function of the total momentum by computing the overlap between the nuclear matter in its ground state and the deuteron wave functions in correlated basis functions theory. We study the differences between the S- and D-wave components of the deuteron and those of the deuteron-like pair in the nuclear medium. The total number of deuteron type pairs is computed and compared with the predictions of Levinger's quasideuteron model. The resulting Levinger's factor in nuclear matter at equilibrium density is 11.63. We use the local density approximation to estimate the Levinger's factor for heavy nuclei, obtaining results which are consistent with the available experimental data from photoreactions. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.