Relativistic Mean Field Methods and Application to Axially Deformed Nuclei

Beginning with a renormalizable Lagrangian, which is constructed from nucleon and meson fields, a relativistic Hartree-Fock approximation is derived utilizing mean field techniques. The ground state of the nucleus is taken to be a Slater determinant of single-nucleon states, and the meson fields are treated as quantized fields. Neglecting the exchange (Fock) term, the results reduce to a relativistic Hartree approximation in which the meson fields are treated classically. Deformed nuclei are investigated utilizing this approximation. To do this, a method for carrying out relativistic Hartree calculations for axially symmetric nuclei is developed. The validity of the method is checked by comparing calculations with this method and existing calculations for spherical nuclei. The axial Hartree calculations show that binding energies and bulk properties of deformed nuclei cannot be explained simultaneously. The more deformed from the spherical shape, the larger the discrepancy. Possible resolutions of this difficulty are discussed.