The Gamow-Goeppert Mayer-Teller Bottle with Ultracold Neutrons Coagulating into Larger Neutral Complexes and the Neutron Lifetime Anomaly

Jiri Stavek
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Jiri Stavek: Independent Researcher, Czech Republic

European Journal of Applied Physics, 2025, vol. 7, issue 6, 1-6

Abstract: The ∼1% discrepancy between neutron lifetimes measured by “beam” (proton counting) and “bottle” (ultracold-neutron storage) techniques has persisted for more than a decade. There were proposed many models how to explain this neutron lifetime anomaly between the τ (bottle) ≈ 878 s and τ (beam) ≈ 888 s with σ = 4.4. We propose to reuse newly the George Gamov’s 1946 model based on the cold cloud of neutrons that gradually coagulate into larger neutral complexes which later turn into various atomic species. Later this model was studied in more details by Maria Goeppert Mayer with Edward Teller in 1949 who proposed the polyneutron model as an assembly of neutrons. We call this model as “the Gamow-Goeppert Mayer-Teller bottle” where many nuclear reactions could be experimentally observed. We propose to express this model in the language of the Rutherford-Harkins-Landau-Chadwick key where the neutron was interpreted as the compound composed from proton and electron. In that bottle many parallel nuclear reactions could simultaneously occur under the formation of unstable polyneutron structures and stable “aromatic” ring polyneutrons structures. Unstable polyneutron structures could lead to the formation of “visible” matter: H-2, H-3, He-3, He-4, Li-6, and Li-7 nuclei. Stable “aromatic” ring structures of polyneutrons: n-2, n-3, and n-4 could be candidates for the “dark” matter that transfer heat via their rotational energy. They can be captured by e.g., gadolinium-157, provided that the rotational energy of these stable ring polyneutron structures is low. This scenario can be experimentally confirmed or disproved with the existing technology.

Keywords: Coagulation of ultracold neutrons; dark matter; neutron lifetime anomaly; visible matter (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:epw:physic:v:7:y:2025:i:6:id:11394

DOI: 10.24018/ejphysics.2025.7.6.394

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