Center-of-mass corrections in nuclear self-consistent field theories

Abstract

Of various methods for making c.m. corrections to nuclear wave functions, one is found to be particularly suitable for calculations of the Hartree-Fock type, including those of Brueckner theory. For a spherical nucleus, expressions are derived for the corrections to the single-particle potential, the single-particle energies, the separation energies, the total binding energy and the rms mass, proton and neutron radii. The matrix formulation of Hartree-Fock theory in a harmonic-oscillator basis is employed. The limiting case of the single-oscillator configuration is discussed. Questions arise concerning the c.m. corrections when the Brueckner theory is renormalized with occupation probabilities. It is argued that within the Brueckner-Hartree-Fock approximation it is more accurate not to renormalize the c.m. corrections.