Important configurations for NN processes in a Goldstone boson exchange model

We study the short-range nucleon-nucleon interaction in a nonrelativistic c hiral constituent quark model by diagonalizing a Hamiltonian containing lin ear confinement and a Goldstone boson exchange interaction between quarks. A finite six-quark basis obtained from single particle cluster model states was previously used. Here we show that the configurations which appear nat urally through the use of molecular orbitals, instead of cluster model stat es, are much more efficient in lowering the six-quark energy. [S0556-2813(9 9)01403-X].