Mean-field description of ground-state properties of drip-line nuclei: Pairing and continuum effects

Ground-state properties of exotic even-even nuclei with extreme neutron-to-proton ratios are described in the framework of self-consistent mean-field theory with pairing formulated in coordinate space. This theory properly accounts for the influence of the particle continuum, which is particularly important for weakly bound systems. The pairing properties of nuclei far from stability are studied with several interactions emphasizing different aspects, such as the range and density dependence of the effective interaction. Measurable consequences of spatially extended pairing fields are presented, and the sensitivity of the theoretical predictions to model details is discussed.