Variational Monte Carlo for microscopic cluster models

We examine the application of the Variational Monte Carlo (VMC) method to a cluster model for halo nuclei. Particular attention is paid to the error estimate in the presence of correlations in the underlying random walk. We analyze the required steps for a reliable application of the VMC in the case of a complicated many-body problem, such as the direct solution of the nuclear Hamiltonian with realistic interactions. We also examine the possibility of variance reduction through the "zero variance principle", paying particular attention to the complexity of the many-body problem. © World Scientific Publishing Company.