Generalized Atomic Mass Law

Least-squares analyses have been performed on a set of atomic masses using standard and generalized semiempirical mass laws. Presumably because of errors in the assumed form of the standard mass law, its least-squares coefficients can be determined at best to an accuracy of about 10%, and masses are predicted with an uncertainty of several ${\mathrm{M}\mathrm{e}\mathrm{v}/\mathit{c}}^2$. The standard mass law has been generalized by addition of shell effect and deformation terms. While the least-squares fitting of the generalized mass law is better than for the standard mass law, it is still not possible to predict atomic masses to an accuracy better than a few ${\mathrm{M}\mathrm{e}\mathrm{v}/\mathit{c}}^2$. The nuclear deformations and the well depth of the nuclear interaction obtained from the additional mass-law terms are in reasonable agreement with more accurate determinations by other methods. A similar statement applies to the nuclear radius constant as obtained from the least-squares coefficient of the Coulomb energy term. A study has also been made of the effects of additional terms propertional to the absolute value of the isotopic spin, exchange and surface corrections to the Coulomb energy, and the surface correction to the normal isotopic term.