Relativity Damps OPEP in Nuclear Matter

Abstract

Using a relativistic Dirac-Brueckner analysis the OPEP contribution to the ground state energy of nuclear matter is studied. In the study the pion is derivative-coupled. We find that the role of the tensor force in the saturation mechanism is substantially reduced compared to its dominant role in a usual nonrelativistic treatment. We show that the damping of derivative-coupled OPEP is actually due to the decrease of $M^*/M$ with increasing density. We point out that if derivative-coupled OPEP is the preferred form of nuclear effective lagrangian nonrelativistic treatment of nuclear matter is in trouble. Lacking the notion of $M^*$ it cannot replicate the damping. We suggest an examination of the feasibility of using pseudoscalar coupled $\pi$N interaction before reaching a final conclusion about nonrelativistic treatment of nuclear matter.