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.
Yes, two neutrons in an alpha particle can be distinguished from each other based on their individual properties such as spin, energy, and location within the particle.
The purpose of determining the difference between two neutrons in an alpha particle is to better understand the structure and behavior of the alpha particle, as well as to study nuclear reactions and interactions.
Scientists use various techniques such as particle detectors, spectroscopy, and mathematical models to differentiate between two neutrons in an alpha particle.
No, two neutrons in an alpha particle cannot have the exact same properties. They may have similar properties, but there will always be slight differences that can be detected by scientists.
The ability to distinguish between two neutrons in an alpha particle allows for more precise and accurate studies of nuclear reactions and structures, leading to advancements in fields such as energy production, medicine, and materials science.