Equilibrium configurations of rotating charged or gravitating liquid masses with surface tension. II

Abstract

The equilibrium configurations of rotating charged or gravitating liquid masses with surface tension are investigated. The objective is to discuss in a unified manner configurations of idealized atomic nuclei, rotating liquid drops and rotating idealized astronomical masses. The present paper formulates the problem generally but the applications discussed are mostly to nuclei. These include the estimates of the geometrical characteristics, of the rigid moments of inertia, and of the energies and fission barriers of idealized nuclei throughout the periodic table and with any angular momentum. The existence of super-deformed nuclei, stretched out into cylinderlike configurations by the centrifugal force, is discussed.