Is an Electron a Boson or a Fermion?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the classification of particles, specifically whether an electron is a boson or a fermion, and extends to the nature of hydrogen ions and their constituents. The scope includes conceptual clarifications and explorations of particle physics terminology.

Discussion Character

  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses confusion about particle physics terminology, particularly regarding fermions and bosons.
  • Another participant clarifies that hydrogen contains fermions, specifically electrons, protons, and neutrons.
  • A participant questions whether a hydrogen ion can be classified as a boson.
  • There is a challenge to the idea of a hydrogen ion being a boson, with a mention that photons are bosons and that forces within the nucleus may also be considered bosons.
  • Participants discuss the components of a hydrogen ion, noting that a proton and a triton are fermions, while a deuteron is a boson.
  • A participant wonders if a hydrogen ion consisting of a proton and an electron would be a boson, leading to a claim that the combination of two spin 1/2 particles results in a boson due to integral spin.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the classification of hydrogen ions and their components, with no consensus reached on whether a hydrogen ion with an electron is a boson.

Contextual Notes

There are unresolved aspects regarding the definitions of bosons and fermions, particularly in the context of combinations of particles and their spins.

Chaste
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I'm studying particle physics now and am confused with all these terminologies.
 
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some clarifications:
Hydrogen has fermions (they are electrons, protons, neutrons)..
cheers
 
I think I would like to rephrase my question. Is a hydrogen ion a boson?
 
What makes you to think that hydrogen ion is a boson ?
Anyway i am not a particle physicist. But I can say, e.g., photons are bosons..other may be the forces within the nucleus is also a kind of bosons.
PS: Bosons obey Bose-Einstein Distribution.
 
I hydrogen ion can be the nucleus (w/o electron) consisting of
a) a proton
b) a deuteron = proton + oen neutron
c) a triton = proton + two neutrons

a) and c) are fermions whereas b) is a boson
 
tom.stoer said:
I hydrogen ion can be the nucleus (w/o electron) consisting of
a) a proton
b) a deuteron = proton + oen neutron
c) a triton = proton + two neutrons

a) and c) are fermions whereas b) is a boson

Thanks. That's was what I'm looking for. Just wondering would (a) with an electron be a boson?
 
Chaste said:
Thanks. That's was what I'm looking for. Just wondering would (a) with an electron be a boson?
Yes. The combination of two spin 1/2 particles is either a spin 0 or spin 1 "particle." Either way, it's an integral spin, and thus a boson.

-Dan Boyce
 

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