Intermediate Coupling in Odd-Odd Nuclei

Abstract

An intermediate-coupling model is applied to the structure of lithium-6 and nitrogen-14. A ground-state wave function is selected which reproduces the observed ground-state moment data. A two-body potential, with spin-orbit and tensor forces included, is sought which will have the proper wave function as its lowest state and which will reproduce the observed level splitting of the lower excited states of the nucleus. The usual variational method is used, the potential is assumed to have a Yukawa radial dependence, and the wave functions are assumed to have an harmonic oscillator radial dependence. Only the $p$-shell nucleons are included. This procedure leads to a consistent, but not unique, result for lithium requiring a strong tensor force for satisfactory solutions. When the additional requirement of the near vanishing of the carbon-14-nitrogen-14 beta-decay element is imposed, and the procedure repeated for the nitrogen nucleus, the results are much less satisfactory. Very large and physically unmeaningful values of the potential parameters appear to be needed to obtain agreement with experimental data.