Category:
Research Papers
Sub-Category:
Quantum Theory / Particle Physics
Date Published:
June 24, 2019
Abstract:
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the possibility that the Casimir effect, normally very weak, is strong enough to be significant on the scale of nuclear forces around 1 femtometer (fm). Computations were performed for the Casimir effect between two spheres using a proximity force approximation. It was found that at 2.7 fm the computed Casimir force is strong enough to overcome Coulomb repulsion and at 0.7 fm it is approximately 32 times stronger than Coulomb repulsion. These values indicate that this strong Casimir force is important on scales of distance consistent with the nuclear force. With refinement it appears likely that the strong Casimir force can account for the nuclear force in its entirety, allowing unification of the nuclear force with quantum electrodynamic theory.
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