Convergence in the no-core shell model with low-momentum two-nucleon interactions

Abstract The convergence of no-core shell model (NCSM) calculations using renormalization group evolved low-momentum two-nucleon interactions is studied for light nuclei up to 7 Li. Because no additional transformation was used in applying the NCSM framework, the energy calculations satisfy the variational principle for a given Hamiltonian. Dramatic improvements in convergence are found as the cutoffs are lowered. The renormalization group equations are truncated at two-body interactions, so the evolution is only approximately unitary and converged energies for A ⩾ 3 vary with the cutoff. This approximation is systematic, however, and for useful cutoff ranges the energy variation is comparable to natural-size truncation errors inherent from the initial chiral effective field theory potential.