Abstract
The quadrupole moment of a nucleus is usually defined1 as “the quantity (3z2 — r2)Av, where the average is taken over the nuclear charges for the state which has the maximum component of spin I in the z direction”. This seems to imply that the average is taken over all the protons in the nucleus; but if this be so, it is impossible to reconcile the measured values of nuclear quadrupole moments quoted by Mattauch2 with current ideas of nuclear size. Thus the quadrupole moment of tantalum is reported to be 6 × 10−24 cm.2, which seems incompatible with a nuclear radius of about 9 × 10−13 cm. It seemed desirable, therefore, to examine carefully the derivation of the measured values.
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References
See, for example, Kellogg, Rabi, Ramsey and Zacharias, Phys. Rev., 57, 677 (1940).
Mattauch, "Kernphysikalische Tabellen" (Springer, 1942).
Casimir, "On the Interaction between Atomic Nuclei and Electrons". Prize essay published by Teyler's Tweede Genootschap. Also published in Archives du Musée Teyler, iii, 8, 201 (1936).
Feather, "Nuclear Physics" (Cambridge, 1936), 109.
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RHODERICK, E. Definition of Nuclear Quadrupole Moments. Nature 160, 255–256 (1947). https://doi.org/10.1038/160255b0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/160255b0
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