Ab Initio Calculation of 2H and 4He Binding Energies

Abstract

The binding energies of all hydrogen isotopes have been calculated successfully for the first time in a previous paper [J Fusion Energy, 30 (2011) 377], using only the electric and magnetic Coulomb’s laws, without using the hypothetical shell model of the nucleus and its mysterious strong force. In this paper, an elementary calculation gives the order of magnitude of the nuclear interaction. The binding energies of the deuteron and the alpha particle are then calculated by taking into account the proton induced electric dipole in the neutron. The large binding energy per nucleon of 4He, as compared to that of 2H, has been explained by a larger electric attraction combined with a lower magnetic repulsion. The binding energies have been calculated without fitting, using only fundamental laws and constants, proving that the nuclear interaction is only electromagnetic.