Theory of the Nuclear Shell Model

Author

R. D. L a w s o n

Publisher

O x f o r d University Press, N e w Y o r k ( 1 9 8 0 )

Pages

534

Price

$129.00

Reviewer

D. A. B r o m l e y

Since its i n t r o d u c t i o n ( i n d e p e n d e n t l y b y Mayer, and b y

Haxel, Jensen, and Suess) in the early 1 9 5 0 s the nuclear
shell m o d e l has p l a y e d a central role in the understanding
o f nuclear structure. Beginning w i t h e x t r e m e single-particle
m o t i o n in spherical p o t e n t i a l s , o n l y the a d d i t i o n o f relatively strong spin-orbit coupling w a s required t o permit
r e p r o d u c t i o n o f a w e a l t h o f data f o r nuclei near the nuclear
magic n u m b e r s - n e a r closed nuclear shells. With t h e pioneering w o r k o f B o h r and M o t t e l s o n a f e w years later it was
recognized that nonspherical nuclear shapes, h e n c e p o t e n tials, were characteristic o f the regions b e t w e e n magic
n u m b e r s and the N i l s s o n m o d e l . M u c h used b y experimentalists w a s t h e corresponding i n d e p e n d e n t particle shell
m o d e l based o n spheroidal potentials. It, t o o , was remarkably successful in reproducing nuclear data. It was s o o n
evident that the i n d e p e n d e n t particle a s s u m p t i o n was t o o
e x t r e m e and that the residual interaction b e t w e e n valence
n u c l e o n s o u t s i d e t h e c l o s e d core were o f great i m p o r t a n c e
in d e t e r m i n i n g t h e detailed nuclear structure.
R. D. L a w s o n , o f A r g o n n e N a t i o n a l Laboratory, the
a u t h o r o f this v o l u m e , has b e e n a major c o n t r i b u t o r t o o u r
understanding and use o f these m o r e sophisticated shell
m o d e l s and is internationally r e c o g n i z e d as a leading figure

in nuclear structure physics. T h e b o o k d e v e l o p e d f r o m a

series o f invited lectures that h e p r e s e n t e d over an e x t e n d e d
period at a n u m b e r o f d i f f e r e n t institutions. It is his stated
goal t o have p r o d u c e d a " h o w t o d o it" b o o k f o r calculating
t h o s e observable quantities that are f r e q u e n t l y e n c o u n t e r e d
in the s t u d y o f a t o m i c nuclei. In this he has s u c c e e d e d
admirably. A t e a c h stage, w h e n a n e w t e c h n i q u e is introd u c e d it is i m m e d i a t e l y f o l l o w e d , n o t o n l y b y an e x a m p l e
o f its use, but also b y a c o m p a r i s o n o f t h e results o b t a i n e d
w i t h actual e x p e r i m e n t a l data s o that t h e reader o b t a i n s a
direct measure o f the s u c c e s s - o r lack o f i t - a t t a i n e d . I
k n o w o f n o comparable reference f o r a n y o n e interested in
learning h o w t o actually use t h e nuclear shell m o d e l ; it will
be a f r e q u e n t c h o i c e as a t e x t b o o k f o r graduate courses in
nuclear physics.
S e v e n a p p e n d i x e s provide a very c o n c i s e and useful
reference on R a c a h algebra, fractional parentage c o e f f i cients, and r o t a t i o n matrices as well as quasispin and
seniority.
While this b o o k is destined t o b e c o m e a standard
reference in graduate nuclear p h y s i c s and a m o s t useful
reference f o r w o r k i n g nuclear physicsts, it is written at a
level of detail and is so f o c u s e d in its t r e a t m e n t o f the
nuclear shell m o d e l that I w o u l d q u e s t i o n its u s e f u l n e s s t o
nuclear t e c h n o l o g i s t s t o the ex t e n t - i f a n y - t h a t t h e y can
b e separated f r o m nuclear physicists.

D. A. Bromley
is Henry Ford II Professor
of
Physics
and director
of the Wright Nuclear Structure
Laboratory
at Yale. He is a director of United Nuclear Resources,
Inc.,
of the United Illuminating
Company,
and of several
other
organizations;
he is currently
vice president
of the
International
Union of Pure and Applied
Physics, and
president
of the American
Association
for the Advancement
of
Science.