NN scattering phase shifts in a chiral constituent quark model

Abstract

We study the nucleon–nucleon interaction within a chiral constituent quark model which reproduces successfully the baryon spectra. We calculate the 3S 1 and 1S 0 phase shifts by using the resonating group method. They clearly indicate the presence of a strong repulsive interaction at short distance, due to the spin–flavour symmetry of the quark–quark interaction and of the quark interchange between the two interacting nucleons. A σ-meson exchange quark–quark interaction, providing a medium-range attraction, helps to get closer to the experimental phase shifts.