On the Electromagnetic Properties of Nuclear Systems

Abstract

If one supposes that a charge bearing field is responsible for nuclear forces, the charge and current of this field must be considered in describing the electromagnetic properties of nuclei. In this paper we discuss the extent to which these electromagnetic anomalies permit phenomenological description in terms of the charges and magnetic moments of the single heavy particles and the forces acting on them. We are guided in this discussion by the formalism of the electron neutrino field theory and that of the dynaton theory proposed by Yukawa. Apart from the known effect of exchange currents on electric dipole radiation, the most marked differences from the phenomenological treatment appear in the estimates of magnetic dipole radiation and magnetic spin dependent forces. The formalism used is developed in the Appendices. Appendix I gives the proof of Serber's result on the repulsive nature of the field theoretic interaction between neutron and proton in the deuteron. Appendix II considers the electric properties of heavy particles in more detail, and shows that Siegert's theorem, which connects the exchange current with the exchange interaction, is valid for the dynaton theory. Appendix III discusses more completely the magnetic properties of heavy particles.