This leads to the introduction of an additional quantum number called isospin.
We can define a single-nucleon
state function in terms of the quantum numbers \( n \), \( j \), \( m_j \), \( l \), \( s \), \( \tau \) and \( \tau_z \). Using our definitions in terms of an uncoupled basis, we had
$$
\psi_{njm_j;ls}=\sum_{m_lm_s}\langle lm_lsm_s|jm_j\rangle\phi_{nlm_lsm_s},
$$
which we can now extend to
$$
\psi_{njm_j;ls}\xi_{\tau\tau_z}=\sum_{m_lm_s}\langle lm_lsm_s|jm_j\rangle\phi_{nlm_lsm_s}\xi_{\tau\tau_z},
$$
with the isospin spinors defined as
$$
\xi_{\tau=1/2\tau_z=+1/2}=\left(\begin{array}{c} 1 \\ 0\end{array}\right),
$$
and
$$
\xi_{\tau=1/2\tau_z=-1/2}=\left(\begin{array}{c} 0 \\ 1\end{array}\right).
$$
We can then define the proton state function as
$$
\psi^p(\mathbf{r}) =\psi_{njm_j;ls}(\mathbf{r})\left(\begin{array}{c} 0 \\ 1\end{array}\right),
$$
and similarly for neutrons as
$$
\psi^n(\mathbf{r}) =\psi_{njm_j;ls}(\mathbf{r})\left(\begin{array}{c} 1 \\ 0\end{array}\right).
$$