A nuclear model is proposed where the nucleons interact by emitting and absorbing mesons, and where the mesons are treated explicitly. A nucleus in this model finds itself in a quantum superposition of states with different number of mesons. Transitions between these states hold the nucleus together. The model—in its simplest incarnation—is applied to the deuteron, where the latter becomes a superposition of a neutron-proton state and a neutron-proton-meson state. Coupling between these states leads to an effective attraction between the nucleons and results in a bound state with negative energy, the deuteron. The model is able to reproduce the accepted values for the binding energy and the charge radius of the deuteron. The model, should it work in practice, has several potential advantages over the existing non-relativistic few-body nuclear models: the reduced number of model parameters, natural inclusion of few-body forces, and natural inclusion of mesonic physics.

中文翻译：

---

具有显式介子的核模型

提出了一种核模型，其中核子通过发射和吸收介子相互作用，并且对介子进行了明确处理。该模型中的原子核发现自己处于具有不同介子数的状态的量子叠加中。这些状态之间的转换将原子核保持在一起。该模型 - 在其最简单的化身中 - 应用于氘核，其中后者成为中子 - 质子态和中子 - 质子 - 介子态的叠加。这些状态之间的耦合导致核子之间的有效吸引力，并导致具有负能量的束缚态，即氘核。该模型能够重现结合能和氘核电荷半径的可接受值。该模型，如果它在实践中起作用，