NUCLEAR-CHARGE RADII IN MODERN MASS FORMULAS

We examine the predictions for nuclear charge radii made by an extended Thomas-Fermi mass formula, the first to be built entirely on microscopic forces, and the finite-range droplet model mass formula, the most refined of the droplet-model approaches. The former is highly successful, the parameters emerging from the mass fit giving an optimal fit to charge radii also, without any further adjustment. The latter model in its published form seems to suffer from an inappropriate choice for the values of some of the parameters, and we discuss how improvement might be possible.