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When comparing spin-orbit coupling in the case of electrons and in the case of nucleons, do nuclear states exhibit a stronger level splitting compared to atomic states because the nucleons are more massive than the electrons (hypothetically considering all else equal)?

This Wikipedia article notes the following but does not elaborate:

In atomic nuclei, the spin–orbit interaction is much stronger than for atomic electrons

If that is the case, why is it so?

MrFu
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  • I would guess that, rather than mass, it is stronger since the nucleons are much closer together than electrons. That would mean the electric field $\frac{\partial U}{ \partial r}$ term is much larger. – KF Gauss Mar 30 '20 at 15:03
  • See my answer to this question: https://physics.stackexchange.com/questions/288357/why-is-nuclear-force-spin-dependent/288499#288499 – Lewis Miller Mar 30 '20 at 17:55

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