Re: [Re: radioactivity]

[Jack Uretsky <jlu@HEP.ANL.GOV>]

        Yes, Daddy.   And how come we don't find some sort of a nucleus made
out of two neutrons? After all neutrons have spin, so two neutrons with
opposite spin could combine to make a nucleus.  No?
                                Regards,
                                        Jack
                          Mark Twain, <Extract from Eve's Autobiography>

On Sun, 29 Oct 2000, cliff parker wrote (in part):
> Leigh posted this privately it was intended for the list.
>
> Leigh Palmer wrote:
> > > It's pretty straightforward. Neutrons are fermions and as such
>
> > > two neutrons cannot occupy the same quantum mechanical state
> > > in a nucleus. When all of the energetically bound quantum
> > > states in a nucleus are occupied by neutrons, the next neutron
>
> > > in must go into a higher (and therefor unbound) energy state.
> > > Of course it will come right out, there being no barrier high
> > > enough to hold it in.
> > >
> > > Does that help?
___________________________________________snip___________________
> > Yes it does.  Not a lot but it helps.  What exactly do you mean
> by
> > enegerticly bound quantum states?