Nucleon-nucleon potential in the Skyrme model: Beyond the product approximation

Abstract

Exact numerical calculations with Lagrange constraints are used to determine the lowest terms in an expansion for the two-Skyrmion interaction. The nucleon-nucleon potential which results after semiclassical quantization compares better with the phenomenological Paris potential than do previous calculations in the Skyrme model which used the product approximation. In particular, the present calculations show a sizable medium-range attraction in the central channel, a result that is not found with the product approximation.