Tensor force and the nuclear symmetry energy

Abstract

We analyze the contribution of the different terms of the nucleon-nucleon interaction to the nuclear symmetry energy So and its slope parameter L by using the Hellmann-Feynman theorem. The analysis is done using the Argonne V18 potential plus the Urbana IX three-body force within the framework of the microscopic Brueckner-Hartree-Fock approach. Our results show that the potential part of the nuclear Hamiltonian, and in particular the tensor component of the nuclear force, gives the main contribution to both S0 and L. The kinetic contribution to S0 is very small and negative, in agreement with recent results.