Nuclear binding energy ($E_{\mathrm{bind}}=(Z{m}_p+N{m}_n-M_A)c^2$)

The positive energy needed to separate a bound atomic nucleus into its constituent protons and neutrons. It is the mass defect times $c^2$. In a Skyrmion model of a nucleus, both separated nucleon masses and the multi-soliton state require a consistent quantization and calibration.

A collective nuclear model that treats the nucleus as a nearly uniform fluid drop with short-range cohesive binding, surface energy and electrostatic self-energy. The semi-empirical mass formula incorporates these contributions, together with asymmetry and pairing terms, to describe broad binding trends. Discrete nuclear shell structure requires additional physics.

A difference between the mass of a bound system and an appropriate sum of reference constituent masses. For a nuclear transformation, the initial-minus-final mass difference gives the available Q value after multiplication by $c^2$, with atomic electrons counted consistently when using neutral-atom masses.

Binding energy per nucleon divides conventional positive nuclear binding energy by mass number. Typical well-bound nuclei have values of order $8\mathrm{MeV}$, and the broad maximum lies near iron-group nuclei. A mass correction added to free-nucleon masses instead has the opposite sign, $E_{\mathrm{corr}}/A=-B/A$.

The semi-empirical mass formula approximates nuclear binding energy using volume, surface, electrostatic, neutron-proton asymmetry, and nuclear pairing contributions. At fixed mass number, its quadratic dependence on atomic number gives a nuclear mass parabola. It describes broad trends and does not resolve individual nuclear shell effects.

Beta decay Q values depend on small differences between much larger atomic masses. A smooth semi-empirical mass formula can therefore approximate absolute masses reasonably while predicting the wrong sign for a MeV-scale decay threshold. Nuclear pairing explains offset even-even and odd-odd mass branches, but does not guarantee that every specific even-even neighbor lies below the intervening odd-odd nucleus. Measured masses or additional nuclear shell corrections are needed for quantitative threshold tests near a model's residual error scale.

Nuclear Coulomb energy is the positive electrostatic mass-energy contribution from proton repulsion in a nucleus. A uniform-charge model gives scaling $Z^2/R$, and approximately constant nuclear density gives $R\propto A^{1/3}$. It reduces conventional positive nuclear binding energy.

The electrostatic self-energy of a uniformly charged sphere of sharp radius $R$ is $3Z^2\alpha \hslash c/(5R)$. For mirror nuclei, subtract the changed neutron/proton rest-mass contribution from their nuclear mass difference before identifying the residual with a nuclear Coulomb energy difference. The inferred $R$ is a sharp-sphere radius; the corresponding nuclear charge radius defined as an rms radius is $\sqrt{3/5}R$. Replacing $Z^2$ by $Z(Z-1)$ removes a proton self-interaction approximation and shifts the estimate.

At fixed mass number $A$, the smooth semi-empirical mass formula makes the atomic mass approximately quadratic and convex in atomic number $Z$. Neighboring nuclear isobars undergo energetically allowed beta decay toward a discrete local minimum, subject to the electron-mass threshold for beta-plus decay. For odd $A$ there is one smooth branch; for even $A$, nuclear pairing splits the even-even and odd-odd branches. A local minimum against a single change of $Z$ need not be stable against double beta decay.