The Nuclear Glue
Forces between nucleons are revealed by accelerator experiments
proton - proton collisions; proton-neutron collisions reveal the nature of the interactions between them
n-n interaction obtained indirectly
- nuclear forces have a very short range! (3 x 10-15 m)
- strongly attractive; 100 times stronger than electrical repulsion
- at very-very close distance is repulsive like the electrostatic one
- force is a complicated one: depends on relative orientation and some purely quantum mechanical effects
- is independent of charge: same: n-n, n-p, p-p
- an new additional force in the nucleus, responsible for the ? decay process: n--> p + e; weak force (one-billionth the strength of the strong nuclear force)