Three-Body Nuclear Problem with Repulsive Core Forces

Abstract

A variational calculation of the binding energy of the triton has been carried out using the Gartenhaus potential. The results indicate that this potential leads to an unbound ground state of the three-nucleon system; this result is attributable to the even-parity tensor potential which is relatively large in magnitude compared to the weakly attractive even-parity central potential. Since this property is also a characteristic of the Signell-Marshak potential, it too should lead to an unbound triton.