Cluster expansion of the many-body Schrödinger wave function is manifested through the projected Faddeev-Yakubovsky equations. It is shown that using these equations one can formulate a systematic expansion for the wave function of finite systems in a translational invariant manner. The solution of the N-body problem at a given order becomes equivalent to solving the few-body Faddeev-Yakubovsky equations. The first two orders in this expansion are given explicitly and then solved for the case of N bosons interacting through the nucleon-nucleon Afnan-Tang S3 and Malfliet-Tjon MT-V potentials.

• Received 12 October 1999

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.61.034003