A simple model for nuclear forces which exhibits bound states

A repulsive core force is derived which, assuming mesons are the field particles, gives binding energies in good agreement with binding energies per nucleon of heavy nuclei. The physical model consists of a field of relatively short range, in which emission of a meson by a nucleon and subsequent absorption by a neighboring nucleon is equivalent to a potential well. The binding energy at the equilibrium spacing of the nucleons is the self-energy of the mesons, which is calculated by analogy with classical electric fields.