Extended random-phase approximation with three-body ground-state correlations

An extended random-phase approximation (ERPA) which contains the effects of ground-state correlations up to a three-body level is applied to an extended Lipkin model which contains an additional particle-scattering term. Three-body correlations in the ground state are necessary to preserve the hermiticity of the Hamiltonian matrix of ERPA. Two approximate forms of ERPA which neglect the three-body correlations are also applied to investigate the importance of three-body correlations. It is found that the ground-state energy is little affected by the inclusion of the three-body correlations. On the contrary, three-body correlations for the excited states can become quite important.