Three-Nucleon Forces Revisited - Some Historical Thoughts

Abstract

Historic steps in the emergence, the derivation and the use of three-nucleon forces, genuine and effective, for calculations of few-nucleon systems and of the structure of heavier nuclei are recalled. The research focus is on few-nucleon systems. The need of three-nucleon forces for a successful description of some data and the remaining puzzles of other data, not explainable despite the inclusion of three-nucleon forces, are discussed.