Antineutrons, protons, electrons

In summary, it is not possible to have a helium atom with 2 protons, 2 electrons, and 2 antineutrons or a helium atom with 2 negatrons, 2 positrons, and 2 neutrons due to the incompatibility of protons and antineutrons and the repulsion of protons and positrons.
  • #1
dayglo
1
0
Is it theoretically possible to have:

a) a helium atom with 2 protons, 2 electrons, and 2 antineutrons
b) a helium atom with 2 negatrons, 2 positrons, and 2 neutrons
c) a helium atom with 2 protons, 2 positrons and 2 neutrons

etc...
 
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  • #2
No:

a) Protons and antineutrons will not play nice together. One way to think about it is to note that protons contain up and down quarks, while antineutrons contain up and down antiquarks. These quarks and antiquarks will annihilate with each other and so you can't get a stable nucleus composed of protons and antineutrons.

b) What's a negatron? An antiproton? If so, this will have the same problem as a).

c) The protons will repel the positrons (because both have positive charge), so the positrons will go flying off into space.
 

1. What are antineutrons?

Antineutrons are subatomic particles that have the same mass as neutrons, but with opposite charge. They are the antiparticles of neutrons and are commonly found in high-energy particle collisions.

2. What is the charge of a proton?

A proton has a positive charge of +1. It is one of the fundamental particles that make up an atom's nucleus, along with neutrons.

3. How does an electron differ from a proton?

Electrons are subatomic particles that have a much smaller mass compared to protons and neutrons. They have a negative charge and are found orbiting the nucleus of an atom.

4. Can protons and electrons be found on their own?

Protons and electrons are found within atoms and cannot exist independently in nature. However, high-energy particle accelerators can produce isolated protons and electrons.

5. How do antineutrons, protons, and electrons interact with each other?

Protons and electrons are attracted to each other due to their opposite charges and interact through electromagnetic forces. Antineutrons, being the antiparticles of neutrons, have the same interactions as neutrons with protons and electrons.

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