Light nuclei as quantized Skyrmions

We consider the rigid-body quantization of Skyrmions with topological charges 1 to 8, as approximated by the rational map ansatz. Novel general expressions for the elements of the inertia tensors, in terms of the approximating rational map, are presented and are used to determine the kinetic energy contribution to the total energy of the ground and excited states of the quantized Skyrmions. Our results are compared to the experimentally determined energy levels of the corresponding nuclei, and the energies and spins of a few as yet unobserved states are predicted.