A Possible Property of the Positive Electron

Abstract

THE detection of the positive electron (called positron) by Blackett and Occhialini1 and by Anderson2 makes it very probable that the positron has a great importance in the building up of nuclei. Anderson2 suggests that the proton may consist of a neutron and a positron. In favour of this hypothesis we may mention the experiments of Stern (still unpublished), who found that the magnetic momentum of the proton is three times greater than it should be if the proton were to behave like an elementary particle in Dirac's theory. Following Heisenberg3, both the proton and the neutron obey Fermi statistics and have a half integral spin momentum. This leads at once to the conclusion that, if the hypothesis of Anderson is true, the positron should obey Bose statistics and have an integral spin momentum (0 or 1). If this view should be confirmed by other experimental evidence we should understand better why the positrons can only be found in nuclei; for, since positrons have symmetrical wave functions, they can always be placed in the deepest energy levels. It seems to be an advantage of the proposed hypothesis, that contrary to Dirac's theory of ‘holes’4 an essential asymmetry between positive and negative electricity is introduced into the laws describing the behaviour of elementary particles. Since the light-quanta also have whole number momenta, it seems that it may be a general rule, that symmetrical wave functions are combined with integral momenta and anti-symmetrical wave functions with half integral momenta.