RHO-MESON-NUCLEON COUPLING IN RELATIVISTIC MEAN FIELD THEORY

We obtain a more accurate rho-meson-nucleon coupling constant g_ρ for studying nuclei in relativistic mean field theory of nucleons and mesons than used before. With this g_ρ we get a better description of finite nuclei. We have studied a number of isotopic chains of neutron-rich nuclei using the new g_ρ parameter, with important consequences for very neutron-rich exotic nuclei and the neutron-drip line. The binding energies are sensitive to the coupling constant g_ρ, but the rms radii and deformation parameters of nuclei are not at all sensitive to g_ρ.