On Sat, Jan 26, 2013 at 8:18 AM, Jones Beene <jone...@pacbell.net> wrote:
This essentially is the best argument for quantization: if the electron is > quantized – then why not the proton? But it is a false expectation. Can > anyone think of any good theoretical argument which demand quantization in > actual protons (as opposed to the Bohr atom, which is the ideal version)? > Interesting discussion. It raises for me, among other things, questions about the limits of the instruments used to determine the mass of the various particles being discussed. But it also is suggestive (to a hobbyist) of there being a variable proton mass. Perhaps the variability resides in the gluons not being massless after all. I assume this would cause problems for one or two assumptions in the standard theory? Your argument is general and would seem to go beyond protons, since it operates at the level of quarks and gluons and so on and calls out nothing specific to protons, in particular. You appear to extend the variable-mass hypothesis to electrons; can I assume that it applies to neutrons as well? If so, why would any form of energy arbitration, in which a magnetic field is used to drain off a little bit of the mass of a proton, not also apply to neutrons and electrons? Eric
