Coulomb Force Effects in Few-Nucleon Systems

Theoretical predictions for sample observables of three-nucleon and four-nucleon reactions are reviewed. The focus is on Coulomb force effects. The calculations are based on the Alt–Grassberger–Sandhas version of the Faddeev equations. The calculations are done in momentum space. The calculational technique used to include the Coulomb repulsion between protons screens the infinite Coulomb tail, renormalizes the results and thereby corrects them for screening. The competition between three-nucleon force and Coulomb force effects as well as the Coulomb domination in special kinematic situations of reactions are discussed. Reactions connected by charge symmetry are reviewed. Special reaction observables are studied, in search for the hadronic violation of charge symmetry in the nuclear interaction and for its competition with the charge-asymmetric Coulomb force.