Eigenstates of theL=0, Charge- and Spin-Independent Pairing Hamiltonian. I. Seniority-Zero States

Equations for all the seniority-zero eigenstates of $2N$ nucleons in an arbitrary charge- and spin-independent potential well and interacting through charge- and spin-independent pairing forces are derived. These equations are solved exactly for a large number of states of this system. The interaction in this Hamiltonian is effective in the $L=0\mathrm{}$ states of the two-nucleon system, and its strength is independent of the remaining quantum numbers of the two nucleons. We solve our equations exactly for those states whose wave functions are totally symmetric functions of the spin-isospin coordinates of the $N$ $L=0\mathrm{}$ pairs of nucleons in the state. The wave functions of these states factor into a spin-isospin-dependent part and a spatially dependent part. The spin-isospin-dependent part of one of these wave functions is an eigenvector of three tridiagonal matrices which insure that the state is a spin, isospin, and supermultiplet eigenstate, respectively. Explicit expressions are given for the eigenvalues of these three matrices in terms of the quantum numbers of the state. The spatially-dependent part of one of these wave functions is given explicitly in terms of $N$ parameters which we call pair energies. These pair energies are shown to satisfy $N$ coupled algebraic equations which depend parametrically upon the supermultiplet quantum numbers of the state. An expression for the occupation probabilities of the levels of the single-particle well is given. Throughout this work, an arbitrary splitting of the single-particle levels is treated exactly.