Preconception about neutron's electrical properties overturned

[bascule]

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070917151054.htm

 

For two generations of physicists, it has been a standard belief that the neutron, an electrically neutral elementary particle and a primary component of an atom, actually carries a positive charge at its center and an offsetting negative charge at its outer edge.

 

[...]

 

Using precise data recently gathered at three different laboratories and some new theoretical tools, Gerald A. Miller, a UW physics professor, has found that the neutron has a negative charge both in its inner core and its outer edge, with a positive charge sandwiched in between to make the particle electrically neutral.

 

Implications?

[NeonBlack]

I don't know very much about this stuff.

 

1. Are neutrons elementary particles? They are made of quarks, the structure of which seems to be the main focus of the article.

 

2. It says that neutrons are a primary component of atoms. What then are the secondary components? I thought that the most important parts of atoms were protons and electrons. Neutrons are only important for nuclear stability when atomic number becomes large.

[Klaynos]

I don't know very much about this stuff.

 

1. Are neutrons elementary particles? They are made of quarks, the structure of which seems to be the main focus of the article.

 

2. It says that neutrons are a primary component of atoms. What then are the secondary components? I thought that the most important parts of atoms were protons and electrons. Neutrons are only important for nuclear stability when atomic number becomes large.

 

IIRC without neutrons you coulnd't have any element bigger than hydrogen... Sounds quite important to me....

[elas]

This is the effect that vacuum force has on matter, it cannot be explained using QT. It can be explained using classical physics. So do I post the explanation here or in classical physics (with a reference here).

 

I have posted a brief explanation on:

http://www.scienceforums.net/forum/showthread.php?p=359954#post359954

[bascule]

[rambling speculation]

 

Can you please post this stuff in pseudoscience?

[Martin]

Can you please post this stuff in pseudoscience?

 

Pioneer, I have moved three posts* involving an original concept of the neutron structure to start a new thread here:

http://www.scienceforums.net/forum/showthread.php?t=28699

The discussion of the internal workings of the neutron was sufficiently inventive and unfamiliar that I thought it should have its own thread.

 

I hope this is satisfactory. Thanks all for the interesting news item and discussion!

 

*Two of yours and a response by elas.

[Severian]

To be honest, I am failing to see the significance in this. For example, could someone explain to me why this discovery gives us a "greater understanding of the strong force in general"?

[bascule]

To be honest, I am failing to see the significance in this. For example, could someone explain to me why this discovery gives us a "greater understanding of the strong force in general"?

 

I posted this because I was curious what the implications of this discovery were. From what you're saying I gather... not much?