Light bending around neutron and bound photon

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the interaction between photons and neutrons, particularly focusing on the potential for photons to be attracted to and possibly bound by neutrons. Participants explore the implications of these interactions on spacetime and the nature of neutrons.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • One participant assumes that neutrons are finite-sized, structureless, and electrically neutral, suggesting that a photon could be attracted to a neutron due to its mass, potentially leading to interesting consequences for spacetime.
  • Another participant counters that the gravitational attraction between a photon and a neutron is too weak to result in binding, and notes that while there is a magnetic interaction due to the neutron's magnetic moment, it is also insufficient to bind the photon.
  • A reference to a paper (gr-qc/0412064) is mentioned, suggesting it may provide relevant insights into the topic.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the nature of the interaction between photons and neutrons, with no consensus reached on whether photons can be bound by neutrons or the implications of such interactions.

Contextual Notes

Participants have not resolved the assumptions regarding the structure of neutrons or the strength of the forces involved in the interactions discussed.

raj_vad
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I assume that the neutron is a particle with finite size and is <really> a single particle (that is that it does not have any further structure or components-like nucleus) and lastly it is electric nutral. I hope that these assumptions are close to the experimental observations. I am making life simple by not assuming subatomic particles or gluons etc.

We know tht a neutron is a fairly heavy particle with rest mass of about that of hydrogen atom and the size is as small as the nuclus (Fermi). Consider that a photon interacts with a nutron. As the photon gets attracted by the mass of nutron, it should feel a central force field. It is likely that this filed shuld trap the photon.

If that doesn't happen, why does that not happen?

If that happens, what happens to the space time? It should result in a number of interesting consequences. I wish the readers to enumerate them. (Is every neutron a black hole?)
 
Science news on Phys.org
The gravitational attraction between a photon and a neutron is much too weak to measure, much less bind the photon.
There is a magnetic force between a photon and a neutron due to the neutron having a magnetic moment. This interaction is also much too weak to bind the photon, but is observed in scattering of a photon by a neutron.
 
gr-qc/0412064 has something to say about the subject.
 
what's that

vanesch said:
gr-qc/0412064 has something to say about the subject.
How to get there?
 
raj_vad said:
How to get there?

that's a paper index for arxiv.org. google it for example.
 

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