Shepherd and sheep.
Shepherd and sheep. |
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It is a known fact that atoms are composed of negative particles-electrons-circling a positive core of protons and neutrons.But how can this be?Surely electromagnetic forces should tear such nuclei apart. Strong and weak nuclear forces and additional bonding particles have been proposed to explain this discrepancy-but these are unconvincing and unsatisfactory arguments.
The plain answer is that protons and neutrons are not fundamental particles but are themselves composed of enormous numbers of simpler particles that arrange themselves inside protons/neutrons so as to create a situation where the the outer areas are actually negatively charged.
The strong nuclear force can be seen to be no more than a attractive force caused when an outer negative charge concentration gets sandwiched between the positive charge centres of neighbouring nuclides. |
an atom-red=overall +ve charge/blue=overall -ve charge. |
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Alpha emission-the loss of two protons and neutrons by an unstable nucleus occurs when positive charge centres get too close and repel each other with such force as to cause matter to be ejected.The fact that only helium nuclei are ejected in this fashion,suggests that the nuclides actually combine up and aren`t independent,unique,groupings.
Beta emission occurs when an electron in the outer shell of a nuclide runs into another electron with such force that it gets smashed out of the nucleus.
But isn`t this explanation a bit of a cop out and moving the problem of that unlikley positive charge concentration down a level?
Here is where we find an explanation in the form of shepherd and sheep particles.
The sheep particle is a complex positively charged particle and it forms the bulk of the matter inside a proton(or neutron).
The shepherd particle is a simpler,negatively charged particle which races around and prevents the sheep from escaping.
How does this explain the stability?It is all to do with the relative velocities of the two particles.
The sheep particle is more complicted.When a force is exerted on it,it will react principally by vibrating.Just like in punching a mattress, repulsive forces will be soaked up,and thus it will move slowly.Any attempts made by it to escape and it will soon be overtaken by the shepherd particles. |
Shepherd & Sheep-The interior of a proton |
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What we are left with is a positively charged region,and this is the most stable arrangement for such a combination of particles.For in fact,if negative charge were to be introduced,it would be more likely to run into the negative charged sheepdog particles and be expelled very rapidly.
We are left with a situation where these small
negatively charged areas are capable of holding the nucleus together simply
because they can approach postive charge far more closely and thus their
effects are much stronger.This is a simplification as,with the outer electron
distribution,the charges in nuclei are actually moving about quite a bit and
thus the forces exerted at any particular distance from a nuclide are not
constant.
The shepherd particle(probably just an
electron)is a simpler particle.When a force is exerted on it,it reacts by
moving at great velocities and can circle around sheep particles,attracting
them and pulling them back into the fold.
