Three-nucleon calculations without the explicit use of two-body potentials

Using as two-nucleon interaction input the ³S₁-³D₁ and ¹S₀ partial waves, the Faddeev equations are solved for the three-nucleon bound state. The ³S₁³D₁T-matrix is calculated from the Reid potential. Avoiding the usual potential fit, the ¹S₀T-matrix is directly continued off-shell and is constructed consistent with the ¹S₀ phase shift of elastic two-nucleon scattering. The off-shell part of the ¹S₀T-matrix is parametrized and with this parametrization the dependence of the three-nucleon bound-state properties is studied. As a result it is found that the binding energy varies only between 6.2 MeV and 6.8 MeV, while the minimum in the charge form factor for electron scattering from ³He lies between 12.9 fm^?2 and 18.7 fm^?2. The larger (smaller) ³He binding energy is accompanied by a ³He charge form factor whose minimum is at larger (smaller) momentum transfers.