Can we truly destroy a proton or nucleon?

  • Thread starter DiracPool
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In summary: Well, that is, unless you're at sufficiently high energy (and, probably, density) that non-perturbative weak processes are accessible, in which case it's possible to have a proton (or, perhaps, more correctly, its constituents) decay in a way that produces an anti-lepton.But, that's not something that happens at any noticeable rate at ordinary scales.
  • #1
DiracPool
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Or, more generally, can we destroy a nucleon? I know we can convert between a proton and a neutron, but what about obliteration? If we try to separate a quark from a nucleon we cannot do so because we bud off an anti-quark and the original quark goes back in (or something like that). So we can't measure any free quarks. Does this mean that we can't bust open a nucleon? If we can, then what happens, the nucleon just become a bunch of neutrinos, lepton's, and photons? Are we removing protons from the universe's pool at the LHC?
 
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  • #2
Sure, you can hit a nucleon so hard that you "rip" it apart. But the energy required to do so is so high that you actually end up CREATING new particles from the energy, resulting in a shower of new particles emerging from the collision. The higher the energy of the collision the more particles and the higher mass they generally are. There isn't a "pool" of particles we take from, they are actually created from energy. The energy doesn't disappear, it is converted into mass per E=MC2.
 
  • #3
There isn't a "pool" of particles we take from, they are actually created from energy.

OK, I get that, but when we add energy through acceleration to these protons in the LHC, collide them, and get the shower of new particles, is there ever an instance where the resultant shower does NOT include a proton or neutron in the product? That is, the product of the collision is a zoo of particles that are perhaps just leptons and photons, and/or maybe heavy quarks?
 
  • #4
is there ever an instance where the resultant shower does NOT include a proton or neutron in the product?
It is hard to measure this rate (due to experimental issues), but it is certainly possible to have no proton and neutron after the collision.
At the same time, you have to conserve baryon number. Those collisions have to have other baryons in the final state, and those decay to protons and/or neutrons after a while.
 
  • #5
Those collisions have to have other baryons in the final state, and those decay to protons and/or neutrons after a while.

Interesting...so qualitatively you do not, in fact, lose a nucleon in the end result.
 
  • #6
DiracPool said:
Interesting...so qualitatively you do not, in fact, lose a nucleon in the end result.

If it's not there after the collision, I would say you do. Even if you eventually get a few back after decays.
 
  • #7
As mfb said, you have to conserve baryon number. So you need at least one baryon at all times. Nucleons (protons and neutrons) aren't the only baryons.
 
  • #8
jtbell said:
As mfb said, you have to conserve baryon number. So you need at least one baryon at all times. Nucleons (protons and neutrons) aren't the only baryons.

But, every free baryon eventually decays down to a proton. The only way to get rid of a proton is with an anti-proton (or other anti-baryon). Well, that is, unless you're at sufficiently high energy (and, probably, density) that non-perturbative weak processes are accessible, in which case it's possible to have a proton (or, perhaps, more correctly, its constituents) decay in a way that produces an anti-lepton. But, that's not something that happens at any noticeable rate at ordinary scales.
 
  • #9
sure.
 

1. Can we destroy a proton?

Currently, there is no known way to destroy a proton. Protons are considered to be one of the fundamental building blocks of matter and are incredibly stable. Scientists have attempted to destroy protons using high-energy particle accelerators, but they have not been successful.

2. Why can't we destroy a proton?

Protons are made up of even smaller particles called quarks, which are held together by strong nuclear forces. These forces are incredibly powerful, making it extremely difficult to break apart a proton. Additionally, protons have a positive charge, and like charges repel each other, making it even harder to destroy them.

3. What would happen if we could destroy a proton?

If we were able to destroy a proton, it would release a significant amount of energy. This energy would likely be in the form of gamma rays, which are high-energy electromagnetic waves. The destruction of protons could also potentially lead to the formation of new particles and could have significant implications for the laws of physics.

4. Is it possible to destroy a proton in the future?

As of now, there is no known way to destroy a proton. However, scientific advancements are constantly being made, and it is possible that in the future, we may develop technologies or methods that could potentially destroy protons. It is also possible that we may discover new particles or forces that could lead to the destruction of protons.

5. Can the destruction of a proton be used for energy production?

Theoretically, the destruction of protons could be harnessed for energy production. However, the amount of energy released would be minuscule compared to the energy needed to destroy the proton in the first place. Additionally, the process of destroying protons would likely be extremely difficult and expensive, making it an impractical source of energy.

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