OBEP and eikonal form factor. I

A new momentum-space one-boson-exchange potential is presented in which the phenomenological cut-off of dipole type used so far has been replaced by a form factor obtained from an eikonal approximation to multiple vector meson exchange processes. A good description of the NN scattering phase parameters (chi2 = 2.77) and deuteron data (Esub(b = 2.2246 MeV, Q = 0.2864 fm2, Psub(D = 4.32%) is obtained using vector meson coupling constants which are much smaller compared to former OBE models and thus are closer to determinations from other sources. This nice feature is traced back to the special structure of the eikonal form factor. (Auth.)