What would happen when...

A proton and electron meet? None of this namby-pamby orbiting stuff, but smack together 'good and proper' as they say?

I know this decay equation:

neuton --> proton + electron + anti-neutrino

So would a proton and an electron go to:

proton + electron --> Neutron + neutrino ?

Or does something weird happen with the wave properties of the electron and in fact it can never bump into a proton?

Reply 1

Moronic Acid

11

I don't know about when they 'bump into one another', but i do believe that in the formation of neutron stars, immense gravitational attraction between atoms forces outer electrons into the nucleus where they combine with protons to form neutrons (i.e. pretty much what you're proposing)

I'm sure an actual physicist can clear this up pretty quickly :smile:

Reply 2

fleur_de_haine

16

Hmm, as far as I'm aware, it depends on the energy they have. Meh, I could go and look up specifics, but there's a spider in my room so I can't go and check my text books. I'm an amazing physicist aren't I? :ninja:

Reply 3

Mehh

8

Gesar

A proton and electron meet? None of this namby-pamby orbiting stuff, but smack together 'good and proper' as they say?

I know this decay equation:

neuton --> proton + electron + anti-neutrino

So would a proton and an electron go to:

proton + electron --> Neutron + neutrino ?

Or does something weird happen with the wave properties of the electron and in fact it can never bump into a proton?

When protonium and an electron meet we get what is known as a Hydrogen atom forming. It has no known half life.

The cross section of inverse beta decay is almost non-existant. Except in one case. Electron degenerate matter.
When a star collapses upon itself the electrons become so densely packed in with the protons the reaction goes the other way (think Chemistry and the Le Chatier's Principle).

Reply 4

Gesar

OP

1

Mehh

When protonium and an electron meet we get what is known as a Hydrogen atom forming. It has no known half life.

Even when an electron and proton are on a direct collision course? The electron still ends up orbiting the proton?

The cross section of inverse beta decay is almost non-existant. Except in one case. Electron degenerate matter.
When a star collapses upon itself the electrons become so densely packed in with the protons the reaction goes the other way (think Chemistry and the Le Chatier's Principle).

So what I thought in my original post was right? Although I admit the neutrino probably isn't present.

Reply 5

Audrey Hepburn

12

Gesar

A proton and electron meet? None of this namby-pamby orbiting stuff, but smack together 'good and proper' as they say?

I know this decay equation:

neuton --> proton + electron + anti-neutrino

So would a proton and an electron go to:

proton + electron --> Neutron + neutrino ?

Or does something weird happen with the wave properties of the electron and in fact it can never bump into a proton?

This sounds about right to me. Charge, lepton number, boson number are all conserved. Plus I seem to remember drawing a feynman diagram of this exact same thing. Obviously the neutrino would have to be an electron-neutrino, but I'm sure it happens.

EDIT: Doy! Sorry, I'm an idiot for forgetting - it's electron capture and it's in the A2 sylabus.

Reply 6

Mehh

8

Audrey Hepburn

This sounds about right to me. Charge, lepton number, boson number are all conserved. Plus I seem to remember drawing a feynman diagram of this exact same thing. Obviously the neutrino would have to be an electron-neutrino, but I'm sure it happens.

EDIT: Doy! Sorry, I'm an idiot for forgetting - it's electron capture and it's in the A2 sylabus.

Yes. As I said. The reaction is called inverse beta decay, for obvious reasons. Only ever happens in supernovas and novas, where the core collapses into a neutron star. In fact the reason a neutron star is called a neutron star is that it is formed by inverse beta decay.

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