Velocity-Dependent Forces and Nuclear Structure. I. Central Forces

Starting with the assumption that the forces between nucleons inside nuclear matter are the same as between free nucleons, we outline a procedure by which information on the velocity dependence, and other features, in the two-nucleon interaction may be obtained from the level ordering in nuclear shell theory. In this paper we restrict ourselves to the simplest type of velocity-dependent central force, which turns out to be similar to the reduced-mass type of force introduced for the motion in nuclear matter by Brueckner and by Johnson and Teller. If this force is taken with a sign such that the reduced mass is smaller than the mass of the nucleon, it behaves in the long-range approximation as a repulsive Majorana force. In the short-range approximation, the level ordering for the two-particle configuration goes in order of increasing J in the p₃₂ shell, in the order J=4, 0, 2 in the d₅₂ shell, and in order of decreasing J in all other shells. For a three-particle configuration the ordering goes as J=92, 52, 32 in the d₅₂ shell and as J=92, 32, 52 in the f₅₂ shell. We compare this ordering with the experimental one, and obtain restrictions on the strength and range of the velocity-dependent force that may be added to the ordinary one.