The discussion centers on the indistinguishability of neutrons within an alpha particle, specifically within the context of the 4He nucleus. It is established that neutrons are indistinguishable fermions, and their spins can yield four possible outcomes when measured, reflecting the prepared state of the system. The conversation highlights the limitations of modeling nucleons in a potential well, particularly for alpha particles, where all nucleons occupy the 1S state. Participants emphasize the need for expertise in nuclear physics to provide accurate insights into the behavior of these particles.
PREREQUISITESStudents and professionals in nuclear physics, quantum mechanics researchers, and anyone interested in the properties and behavior of nucleons within atomic structures.
My knowledge of nuclear physics is almost zero, but I guess that if the two neutrons are understood to be in the ground state of a potential well, then Pauli's principle demands that they are in a singlet state.vanhees71 said:Where did you get the information about the sum of the spins of the two neutrons being zero?
That's how nuclei are modeled, particles within a potential well, like Wood-Saxon. Besides, the total wavefunction is antisymmetric for the proton variable and antisymmetric for the neutron variables, but there are no antisymmetry demands between one neutron and one proton.vanhees71 said:But it's a bound state of four particles not two particles in a potential well.
Not really. Alphas are not ordinary nuclei, since every nucleon is in the 1S state. (Indeed, by some measures, an alpha is smaller than a proton).andresB said:I'm curious to know if my guess is correct or not.