The nuclear force problem: Are we seeing the end of the tunnel?

Embedded in the historical context, we review recent progress in the development of nucleon-nucleon (NN) potentials based upon chiral effective field theory. A major breakthrough is the construction of the first NN potential at next-to-next-to-next-to-leading order (fourth order) of chiral perturbation theory (ChPT). The accuracy of this potential concerning the reproduction of the NN data below 290 MeV lab. energy is comparable to the one of phenomenological high-precision potentials. Since NN potentials of order three or less of ChPT are known to be deficient in quantitative terms, the recent advances show that the fourth order of ChPT is necessary and sufficient for a reliable NN potential derived from chiral effective Lagrangians. This recent substantial progress raises hopes that we might be getting closer to a solution of the nuclear force problem at low energies that has plagued the community for more than half a century.Comment: 5 pages, Lead Talk presented at the 17th International Conference on Few-Body Problems in Physics, Duke University, June 200

Towards a consistent approach to nuclear structure: EFT of two- and many-body forces

We review the nuclear forces currently in use, i.e., the high-precision NN potentials of the 1990's and the nuclear two- and many-body forces based upon chiral effective field theory (EFT). We argue that the EFT approach is superior to any of the older schemes. Since accurate chiral forces are available now, the stage is set for microscopic nuclear structure to move into a new exciting era.Comment: 10 pages, 2 figures; talk presented at the INT workshop "Nuclear Forces and the Quantum Many-Body Problem", Seattle, October 4-8, 200

Chiral Symmetry and the Nucleon-Nucleon Interaction: Developing an Accurate NN Potential Based upon Chiral Effective Field Theory

We present an accurate nucleon-nucleon (NN) potential based upon chiral effective Lagrangians. The model includes one- and two-pion exchange contributions up to chiral order three and contact terms (which represent the short range force) up to order four. Within this framework, the NN phase shifts below 300 MeV lab. energy and the properties of the deuteron are reproduced with high-precision. This chiral NN potential may serve as a reliable starting point for testing the chiral effective field theory approach in exact few-nucleon and microscopic nuclear many-body calculations.Comment: 15 pages, 6 figures; invited talk presented at the 7-th International Spring Seminar on Nuclear Structure Physics ``Challenges of Nuclear Structure'', Maiori (near Naples, Italy) May 27-31, 200

Chiral NN model and Ay puzzle

We analyze the results by chiral NN models for the two-nucleon system and calculate the predictions for the nucleon vector analyzing power of elastic nucleon-deuteron (Nd) scattering, Ay, by these models. Our conclusion is that a QUANTITATIVE chiral two-nucleon potential does not resolve the Nd Ay puzzle (when only two-body forces are included).Comment: 19 pages RevTex including 8 figure

Chiral effective field theory and nuclear forces

We review how nuclear forces emerge from low-energy QCD via chiral effective field theory. The presentation is accessible to the non-specialist. At the same time, we also provide considerable detailed information (mostly in appendices) for the benefit of researchers who wish to start working in this field.Comment: 93 pages, 24 figure