Rigorous proof of the Strutinsky energy theorem and foundations of nuclear density functional theory
arXiv:2605.11256 · doi:10.1016/j.physletb.2026.140528
Abstract
We have derived a rigorous theoretical proof of the Strutinsky energy theorem. This proof not only provides a proper interpretation of the shell-correction decomposition, resolving decades of confusion, but also lays a foundation for constructing nuclear density functionals.