Abstract
We present the first nucleon-nucleon potential at next-to-next-to-next-to-leading order (fourth order) of chiral perturbation theory. Charge dependence is included up to next-to-leading order of the isospin-violation scheme. The accuracy for the reproduction of the nucleon-nucleon data below lab energy is comparable to the one of phenomenological high-precision potentials. Since potentials of order three and less are known to be deficient in quantitative terms, the present work shows that the fourth order is necessary and sufficient for a potential reliable up to . The new potential provides a promising starting point for exact few-body calculations and microscopic nuclear structure theory (including chiral many-body forces derived on the same footing).
- Received 8 April 2003
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.68.041001
©2003 American Physical Society
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Physical Review C 50th Anniversary Milestones
This collection of milestone papers from PRC highlights research that remains central to current developments in nuclear physics.