Oscillator parameters in nuclei

The dependence on nucleon numbers of the harmonic oscillator length parameter b or energy spacing ℏω in nuclei is determined, using an extensive tabulation of nuclear charge radii and an empirical expression for the difference between proton and neutron radii. Various possible constraints on the parameters or radii are discussed. Alternative parametrizations are compared and a preferred “universal” parametrization is proposed. It is argued that the established Blomqvist–Molinari formula is perfectly adequate for determining the oscillator parameter for specific applications.