Surface incompressibility of semi-infinite nuclear matter via constrained Hartree-Fock calculations

Abstract

With a view to calculating the incompressibility$\ddot \sigma$ of the nuclear surface, we develop a constrained Hartree-Fock treatment of semi-infinite nuclear matter. Our approach leads first to a proof of the “$\dot \sigma = 0$” theorem of Myers and Swiatecki, and then to a corroboration of a simple expression for$\ddot \sigma$, previously obtained in an intuitive way by Stocker. This expression is used to calculate$\ddot \sigma$ for theS3, SkM and Gogny forces. The results are significantly different from those of a scaled HF calculation, but in very good agreement with the values of$\ddot \sigma$ that are implied by RPA calculations of the breathing mode in various finite nuclei.