NN interaction in a Goldstone boson exchange model

TL;DR

This paper calculates nucleon-nucleon potentials using a six-quark chiral quark model with Goldstone boson exchange, revealing a hard core and exploring scalar meson effects on attraction.

Contribution

It introduces a detailed calculation of NN potentials within a nonrelativistic chiral quark model, including the effects of scalar meson exchange.

Findings

Potentials show a hard core at short distances.

No attractive pocket in the basic model.

Scalar meson exchange can induce middle-range attraction.

Abstract

Adiabatic nucleon-nucleon potentials are calculated in a six-quark nonrelativistic chiral constituent quark model where the Hamiltonian contains a linear confinement and a pseudoscalar meson (Goldstone boson) exchange interaction between quarks. Calculations are performed both in a cluster model and a molecular orbital basis, through coupled channels. In both cases the potentials present an important hard core at short distances, explained through the dominance of the [51]_{FS} configuration, but do not exhibit an attractive pocket. We add a scalar meson exchange interaction and show how it can account for some middle-range attraction.