Spin-isospin nuclear response using the existing microscopic Skyrme functionals

Our paper aims at providing an answer to the question of whether one can reliably describe the properties of the most important spin-isospin nuclear excitations by using the available nonrelativistic Skyrme energy functionals. Our method, which has been introduced in a previous publication devoted to the isobaric analog states, is the self-consistent quasiparticle random-phase approximation (QRPA). The inclusion of pairing is instrumental for describing a number of experimentally measured spherical systems which are characterized by open shells. We discuss the effect of isoscalar and isovector pairing correlations. Based on the results for the Gamow-Teller resonance in Zr-90, Pb-208, and a few Sn isotopes, we draw definite conclusions on the performance of different Skyrme parametrizations, and we suggest improvements for future fits. We also use the spin-dipole resonance as a benchmark of our statements.