NN scattering phase shifts in a chiral constituent quark model Original Research Article

We study the nucleon–nucleon interaction within a chiral constituent quark model which reproduces successfully the baryon spectra. We calculate the View the MathML source and View the MathML source phase shifts by using the resonating group method. They clearly indicate the presence of a strong repulsive interaction at short distance, due to the spin–flavour symmetry of the quark–quark interaction and of the quark interchange between the two interacting nucleons. A σ-meson exchange quark–quark interaction, providing a medium-range attraction, helps to get closer to the experimental phase shifts.