Intrinsic properties of a nucleus

• Total angular momentum and Nuclear spin

• Parity
• Electric field outside an arbitrary charge distribution
• Nuclear electromagnetic moments
 Fig.11: Nuclear magnetic dipole moment
e 2 evr e
• μ = 2πr/v πr = 2 = 2m l
where l ≡ classical angular momentum mvr
eℏ
• In QM, μ = 2m l where l ≡ angular momentum quantum number
of the orbit.
eℏ
• The quantity 2m is called a magneton.
 For atomic motion, we use the electron mass and obtain the
−5
Bohr magneton μB = 5.7884 × 10 eV/T

In nuclear system, it is the proton mass that we should use

to calculate the magneton; the nuclear magneton
μN = 3.1525 × 10−8 eV/T

For a proton of orbital angular momentum l, its magnetic

dipole moment due to the orbital motion is

μ = gl l μN

where gl is the g-factor associated with the orbital angular

momentum l.

For protons: gl = 1.
 Magnetic dipole moment of a nucleon due to its spin

μ = gs s μN

where s = 1/2 for p, n, e & the quantity gs is known as the spin g

factor.

For e, the Dirac equation gives gs = 2 and the measured value

for e is gs = 2.002319304386 which is quite consistent with the
theoretical predicted value.

For free nucleons, the experimental values are:

p: gs = 5.5856912 ± 0.0000022

n: gs = − 3.8260837 ± 0.0000018
 Fig.12: Nuclear electric quadrupole moment

• It is a parameter which describes the effective shape of the

ellipsoid of nuclear charge distribution.

• A non-zero quadrupole moment Q indicates that the charge

distribution is not spherically symmetric.

• By convention, the value of Q is taken to be positive if the

ellipsoid is prolate and negative if it is oblate.
 Properties of Deuteron

1. Binding Energy

- - - measured to be 2.22 MeV.

2. Angular momentum & parity

J = 1ℏ ; even parity

3. Rms charge radius ≈ 2.13 fm.

4. It does not have excited states because it is a weakly bound

system.
Q. The binding energies per nucleon for deuteron (2H1) and
helium (4He2) are 1.1 MeV and 7.0 MeV respectively. What
would be the energy released when two deuterons fuse to form
a helium nucleus?
• Two-nucleon systems, such as Deuteron, can be described by
attributing a potential such as the Yukawa potential to the nucleons
and using the potentials in a Schrodinger equation.

• To simplify the analysis of the deuteron, we could assume that the

nucleon-nucleon potential is a 3-D square well.

Fig.13: Nuclear model

potential for
studying the deuteron
 Wave equation for the deuteron and its solution

The dynamical behaviour of a nucleon must be described by

the Schrodinger’s equation:

ℏ2 2
− ▿ ψ( r ⃗) + V( r ⃗)ψ( r ⃗) = Eψ( r ⃗) (1)
2m

If the potential is rotationally invariant, then the wavefunction

solution can be separated into radial and angular parts:

ψ(r) = R(r)Ylm(θ, ϕ) (2)

 u(r)
Substituting R(r) = into the Schrodinger’s equation, the
r
function u(r) satisfies the following equation:

ℏ2 d 2u l(l + 1)ℏ2
2m dr 2 { 2mr 2 }
− + V(r) + u(r) = Eu(r) (3)

For the case of a 3D square well potential with zero angular

momentum (ground state of deuteron), the Schrodinger’s
equation can be simplified into:

ℏ2 d 2u
− − V0 u(r) = Eu(r) (for r < b)
2m dr 2

ℏ2 d 2u
and − = Eu(r) (for r > b) (4)
2m dr 2
For a bound state binding energy, E < 0 .

With l = 0, the radial wavefunction satisfies

ℏ2 d 2u
− + V(r)u(r) = Eu(r) (5)
2m dr 2

Two regions:

For r < b, V = − V0 , E=−B

r > b, V = 0 , E=−B

ℏ2 d 2u
Therefore, − + (B − V0 )u(r) = 0 (6)
2m dr 2
 The general solution is given by

u(r) = A sin kr + C cos kr

22m
where k = (V0 − B) (7)
ℏ2
u(r) = A sin kr (for r < b) (8)

Outside the range of the potential well:

ℏ2 d 2 u
− + Bu(r) = 0 (9)
2m dr 2
Its solution is given by

u(r) = De −k′r + Fe k′r

2 2mB
where k′ = (10)
ℏ2
u(r) = De −k′r (for r > b) (11)




 At r = b, both the wavefunction u(r) and its derivative u′(r) should be
finite and continuous, so that (from Eqs. (8) & (11)

u(r) A sin kb = De −k′b

du(r)/dr kA cos kb = − k′De −k′b (12)

The ratio is:

k′ B
cot kb = − = − (
V0 − B )
1/2
(13)
k

For V0 > > B, (13) ⟹ cot kb ≈ 0

π 3π 5π
⟹ kb = , , , . . .
2 2 2
2 2
2π ℏ
V0b ≈ (14)
8m