Attractive Spin-Orbit Potential from the Skyrme Model

Abstract

We derive the nucleon-nucleon isoscalar spin-orbit potential from the Skyrme model and find good agreement with the Paris potential. This solves a problem that has been open for more than 30 years and gives a new geometric understanding of the spin-orbit force. Our calculation is based on the dipole approximation to skyrmion dynamics and higher order perturbation theory.