The quasiparticle approach which exactly reduces the three-body Faddeev formalism to an effective two-body theory is a general starting point for deriving approximation schemes. Practical methods, currently in use for solving the effective two-body equations, follow from it as special cases. A new procedure is proposed which is well suited for local nucleon-nucleon interactions containing repulsion. Its effectiveness is tested by calculating the triton binding energy and elastic neutron-deuteron scattering data for the soft-core potentials of Malfliet and Tjon. Particular emphasis is laid on extracting the influence of higher subsystem partial wave contributions of these potentials.

NUCLEAR REACTIONS Three-body scattering theory, approximation methods and their convergence, numerical test in a three-nucleon model with local potential.

• Received 28 April 1978

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.18.1088