Effect of the deuteron anisotropy: Longitudinal and transverse components of the electric dipole polarizability

The anisotropy effect of the electric polarization (stretching) of the deuteron in the Coulomb field, caused by the tensor character of the nuclear force, is investigated. The values of the longitudinal (with the major axis, or the spin of the deuteron, directed along the electric field), and transverse components of the deuteron electric dipole polarizability that correspond to the low-energy n-p data, are predicted to be α_‖ = 0.669 fm ³ and α_⊥ = 0.555 fm ³ (the potential YYm). The values of the major and minor semi-axes of the deuteron are calculated.