A systematic numerical investigation of a recently developed nuclear structure approach is presented which diagonalizes the Hamiltonian in the space of the symmetry-projected Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov (HFB) vacuum and symmetry-projected quasiparticle excitations with respect to it. The underlying HFB transformation, which is assumed to be time-reversal and axially symmetric, is determined by variation after the projection. The model allows the use of large basis systems. It has been applied to the calculation of energy spectra of several even-even, odd-odd, and odd mass nuclei in the $\mathrm{sd}$ shell with mass numbers reaching from $A=20-30\mathrm{}$. The Chung-Wildenthal interaction has been used. Good agreement with the exact shell model diagonalization and a considerable improvement on a previous approach, where the HFB transformation was significantly more restricted, is obtained.

• Received 28 July 1995

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.52.3002