Turning the nuclear energy density functional method into a proper effective field theory: reflections
Nuclear energy density functionals (EDFs) have a long history of success in reproducing properties of nuclei across the table of the nuclides. They capture quantitatively the emergent features of bound nuclei, such as nuclear saturation and pairing, yet greater accuracy and improved uncertainty quantification are actively sought. Implementations of phenomenological EDFs are suggestive of effective field-theory (EFT) formulations and there are hints of an underlying power counting. Multiple paths are possible in trying to turn the nuclear EDF method into a proper EFT. I comment on the current situation and speculate on how to proceed using an effective action formulation.