A Microscopic Theory of the Neutron

Abstract

A microscopic theory of the neutron, which consists in a neutron model constructed using key relevant experimental observations as input information and the first principles solutions for the basic properties of the model neutron, is proposed within a framework consistent with the Standard Model. The neutron is composed of an electron e and a proton p that are separated at a distance r1 of the order 10-18 m, and are in relative orbital angular motion and Thomas precession highly relativistically, with their reduced mass moving along a quantised circular orbit l = 1, j = ½ of radius vector r1½ = r1rˆ1½ about their mass centre. The associated rotational energy flux has a spin ½ and resembles a confined antineutrino. The particles e, p are attracted with one another predominantly by a central magnetic force produced as result of the particles’ relative precessional-orbital and intrinsic angular motions. The interaction force (resembling the weak force), potential (resembling the Higgs’ field), and a corresponding excitation Hamiltonian (HI), among others, are derived based directly on first principles laws of electromagnetism, quantum mechanics and relativistic mechanics within a unified framework. In particular, the equation for 4/3πr13HI, which is directly comparable with the Fermi constant GF, is predicted as GF = 4/3πr13HI = AoC0 ½/γeγp, where Ao = e2ℏ2/12π\U0001d7160m0em0pc2, m0em0p are the e, p rest masses, C0½ is a geo-magnetic factor, and γe, γp are the Lorentz factors. Quantitative solution for a stationary meta-stable neutron is found to exist at the extremal point r1m = 2.537 × 10-18 m, at which the GF is a minimum (whence the neutron lifetime is a maximum) and is equal to the experimental value. Solutions for the magnetic moment, effective spin (½), fine structure constant, and intermediate vector boson masses of the neutron are also given in this paper.