Possibility of a stable mesonic nucleus

In summary, the conversation discusses the stability of a nucleus consisting solely of mesons and whether it can be stable if there are enough mesons present. Mesons, being bosons, are not affected by the Pauli exclusion principle and can acquire the lowest energy state. The neutral kaon is the most appropriate meson for this scenario, but its oscillation into antikaons can cause the nucleus to collapse. While there is no specific theory on this topic, it is suggested that the mass defect of the mesons can increase the instability of the nucleus instead of reducing it.
  • #1
Garlic
Gold Member
181
72
Hello everyone,
If a nucleus consisting solely of mesons has enough mesons in it, will it be stable?
Mesons are bosons, therefore (unlike baryons) they aren't effected by the pauli exclusion principle, so they all can acquire the lowest energy state.
In theory, if there are enough mesons, the mass defect becomes so high, that it is more favourable for the nucleus to not decay, and be stable (assumed the mesons are uncharged, don't decay via electromagnetic force and aren't their exact antiparticles)
The appropriate meson selection would be the neutral kaon, as it decays via the weak force.
So, if a nucleus has (only) enough neutral kaons in it, will it be stable?

Note: the problem with the neutral kaons is that they oscillate into antikaons, which are their antiparticles, and their existence would make the system collapse.
 
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  • #2
Garlic said:
In theory, if there are enough mesons, the mass defect becomes so high, that it is more favourable for the nucleus to not decay
Where is that theory?
All meson decays release at least tens of MeV, more than the binding energy in nuclei. Increase that to at least 100 MeV if you don't take charged pions of the same charge only.
 
  • #3
mfb said:
Where is that theory?
There is no theory. I was thinking, because mesons experience the residual nuclear force, the mass defect gets higher with each meson added.

mfb said:
All meson decays release at least tens of MeV, more than the binding energy in nuclei. Increase that to at least 100 MeV if you don't take charged pions of the same charge only.
So, with each meson we add, we are increasing the instability of the nucleus instead of reducing it.

Okay, I understand. Thank you.
 

1. What is a mesonic nucleus?

A mesonic nucleus is a hypothetical structure composed of mesons, which are subatomic particles made up of a quark and an antiquark. It is theorized to exist in extreme conditions, such as in the core of a neutron star or during the early stages of the universe.

2. Is the existence of a stable mesonic nucleus possible?

While it is possible, the current understanding of the strong nuclear force suggests that a stable mesonic nucleus is unlikely. This is because the strong force, which binds particles together in the nucleus, is not strong enough to hold together a structure composed entirely of mesons.

3. What evidence supports the possibility of a stable mesonic nucleus?

One of the main pieces of evidence is the observation of meson-nucleus interactions, which have been observed in experiments and can be described by theories that predict the existence of a mesonic nucleus. Additionally, mathematical models and simulations have shown that a stable mesonic nucleus is theoretically possible under certain conditions.

4. How does the possibility of a stable mesonic nucleus relate to the search for new physics?

The search for a stable mesonic nucleus is closely related to the search for new physics beyond the Standard Model. If a stable mesonic nucleus is discovered, it would provide evidence for the existence of new particles and interactions that are not described by the Standard Model.

5. Are there any practical applications for a stable mesonic nucleus?

While the existence of a stable mesonic nucleus has not been confirmed, it is possible that it could have practical applications in the future. For example, it could potentially be used as a new type of nuclear fuel or as a source of energy. However, much more research is needed in this area before any practical applications can be developed.

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