Naked Science Forum

Non Life Sciences => Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology => Topic started by: Atomic-S on 08/05/2006 07:41:07

Title: The challenge of nuclear structure
Post by: Atomic-S on 08/05/2006 07:41:07
To my kjnowkedge, the structur of the atomic nucleus still has not been fully solved. A reason for this is that the nucleus is an inherently complex object, having no single central organizing force, and the nuclear force is mediated by mesons, which have significant nonzero rest mass, a situation which renders the iterative techniques that work in the case of analyzing the electronic structure of the atom, useless in the case of the nucleus. The exact description of the nuclear force (strong force) remaining not understood.

There is an additional consideration:  Outside the nucleus, free mesons are unstable particles, which quickly disintegrate into simpler particles. So is the neutron, although it lasts a while longer. It is a valid question why this instability is not observed inside the nucleus also. The answer may be that the instability does in fact continue inside the nucleus, but that the fragments of disintegration are recaptured and reformed into new netrons and mesons -- or into SOMETHING. But if this is so, could it be that the nucleus is not, as is generally pictured, a collection of protons as such and neutrons as such, held together by mesons as such; but is in fact an undifferentiated conglomeration of all of the most elementary constituents of these particles?  If this is so, it helps understand why we have such a hard time understanding the nucleus, while at the same time suggesting that solving the problem of nuclear structure will remain formidable.

Title: Re: The challenge of nuclear structure
Post by: science_guy on 08/05/2006 19:17:23
this might be hard to imagine.  If it were true, how would it keep the whole atom from changing every time it reforms whatever it does?  it might be your theory is correct when it has to do with isotopes.  Perhaps the cycle continues until total isotope stability is reached?

E=MC2... m=deg/360 X C... C= PiD

therefore E=deg/360 X 2(PiD)
Title: Re: The challenge of nuclear structure
Post by: another_someone on 08/05/2006 20:40:26
At face value, it seems almost as if you are describing something akin to ions in solution.

One question I would have is how would this explain the apparent stability of protons, the only part of the nucleus that is stable when separated from the nucleus, and even able to to the entire nucleus of hydrogen atom?



George
Title: Re: The challenge of nuclear structure
Post by: Atomic-S on 11/05/2006 06:36:32
quote:
At face value, it seems almost as if you are describing something akin to ions in solution.

One question I would have is how would this explain the apparent stability of protons, the only part of the nucleus that is stable when separated from the nucleus, and even able to to the entire nucleus of hydrogen atom?


Yes, the analogy to ions in solutions did occur to me. Carbonic acid is not a stable substance in isolation, but is when disolved in water. Similarly, the neutron might be unstable in isolation but stable when in the presence of other constituents of the nucleus.

As to the stability of protons: I am not sure we need to explain that -- protons might themselves be stable even if other constituents are not. Of course a proton in isolation presumably possesses a field involving mesons, which are unstable in isolation; but again, when connected with a proton they are not in isolation.