Application of the finite element method in self-consistent relativistic mean field calculations Original Research Article

A C++ code is presented which calculates properties of a one-dimensional slab of nuclear matter in the framework of relativistic mean field theory. The nuclear slab is described as a system of nucleons that are coupled to exchange mesons through an effective Lagrangian. Finite element methods are used in the solution of a coupled system of partial differential equations for the nucleons and for mesons. Using a formulation based on weighted residuals, the coupled system of Dirac and Klein-Gordon equations is transformed into a generalized algebraic eigenvalue problem for the self-consistent solution.