Phenomenological three-parameter nucleon-nucleon potential for symmetric nuclei (N=Z) from Z=2 to infinity -: art. no. 014302

In order to study collective instabilities in symmetric nuclear matter, a simple phenomenological nucleon-nucleon finite-range potential with three adjustable parameters is proposed. The three parameters are the attractive strength, the attractive range, and the (zero range) repulsive strength. The potential reproduces; the binding energy, equilibrium density, compressibility modulus, and the effective mass of nuclear matter, as well as the binding energies of He-4, O-16, and Ca-40. The latter conditions are crucial for preventing spurious "quasicrystallization" effects in nuclear matter. With this potential and a (2 + 1)-D deformed oscillator basis, variational Hartree-Fock calculations extending over the configuration space of the lowest 55 orbitals were performed for spin-zero, isospin-zero light nuclei up to A = 80. Large ground-state deformations and exotic nuclear shapes were found for many nuclei. Implications for their rotational spectra are discussed.