We estimate, to leading order in the nuclear matter density, the effect of antisymmetrizing quarks belonging to different nucleons upon the binding energy per nucleon in nuclear matter. A simple Gaussian model for the nucleon quark wave function, together with a one-gluon-exchange potential between quarks, is assumed. Using a linked cluster expansion developed earlier for nuclear matter, we calculate separately the effect of quark interchanges upon the kinetic, hyperfine, Coulomb, and contact terms in the Hamiltonian. A strong net repulsion is found which grows rapidly with the dimensionless parameter α=${\mathit{r}}_0$${\mathit{k}}_{\mathit{F}}$, where ${\mathit{k}}_{\mathit{F}}$ is the nuclear Fermi momentum and ${\mathit{r}}_0$ the nucleon size.

• Received 6 March 1990

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.42.1778