Yukawa potential approach to the nuclear binding energy formula

The volume and surface contributions to the nuclear binding energy of a nucleus are calculated from first principles. Yukawa’s meson theory of the nucleon–nucleon interaction is used to show that the potential energy contains a volume term that is linear in the nucleon number A and a surface term that varies as A2/3, for A sufficiently large. The kinetic energy contribution is accounted for in the usual way. The results are used to estimate the strong force coupling constant. The present approach could be used to discuss the binding energy of a nucleus in terms that are more fundamental than the customary analogy with the case of a drop of liquid.