Charge radius of a proton as a function of its mass

In summary, the conversation discusses a relation between the charge radius of a proton and fundamental constants such as Planck length and Planck mass. The relation is numerically true according to data on Wikipedia, but the speaker is interested in whether it can be analytically derived from current standard physics. They ask for help in proving this and whether it is a trivial equality. The response mentions that the equation is expected from the uncertainty relation in quantum mechanics, but there is no analytic expression for the proportionality factor.
  • #1
Cyril
2
0
Hello !

I would like to know if the following relation, which numerically holds true according to the data available on wikipedia, can be analytically deduced from the current standard physics and model of a proton:

R = 4 x L x ( M / m )
=4 x 1.61619997e−35 x 2.1765113e−8 / 1.67262177774e−27 = 8.412368e-16 m which is correct according to wikipedia.
With R = charge radius of a proton, L = Planck length, M = Planck mass, m = Proton mass

As this relation is very simple and as it only uses fundamental constants such as Planck length and Planck mass, I would expect this relation to be found easily, maybe "by definition" or trivial equality. But I can't find this equality on the web in any standard physics document.

Can you tell me how to prove this? Is it a trivial equality?
(Please note I am not a physicist, but I have a scientific background)

Thank you very much!
Cyril
 
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  • #2
$$L\cdot M = \frac{\hbar}{c}$$
In natural units, your equation just reads R=4/m. The proportionality is expected from the uncertainty relation.
The proton charge radius measurements show a discrepancy of ~5% between regular and muonic hydrogen, that is not sufficient to see if the prefactor might be just a coincidence or something with a deeper meaning.
 
  • #3
Thank you very much for your answer mfb.

Could you detail a bit more how the proportionality is expected from the uncertainty relation?
If it is expected, what is the analytic expression of the proportionality factor?
 
  • #4
If you want to confine something within a box of size 2r, its position uncertainty is smaller than r, which means its momentum uncertainty has to be larger than ##\frac{\hbar}{2r}##. For r=0.8fm, this leads to ~117 MeV/c. That means the quarks are highly relativistic, and E≈pc, so the quarks have to be quite high-energetic.
This is a heuristic argument, it is one-dimensional and it does not take the strong interaction into account, but it shows the general idea. Distance and energy scales are always related in quantum mechanics.
I don't think there is an analytic prediction. Calculating the proton mass from scratch is very tricky even with numerical methods.
 

Related to Charge radius of a proton as a function of its mass

1. What is the charge radius of a proton?

The charge radius of a proton is the distance from the center of the proton to the edge of its electric charge distribution.

2. How is the charge radius of a proton measured?

The charge radius of a proton can be measured through experiments such as electron scattering or atomic spectroscopy.

3. What is the relationship between the mass of a proton and its charge radius?

The charge radius of a proton is directly related to its mass. As the mass of a proton increases, its charge radius also increases.

4. Does the charge radius of a proton change?

The charge radius of a proton is not a fixed value and can change depending on the method of measurement and the precision of the equipment used.

5. Why is understanding the charge radius of a proton important?

The charge radius of a proton is an important physical property that helps us understand the structure of atoms and the behavior of subatomic particles. It also plays a crucial role in theories such as quantum electrodynamics and the Standard Model of particle physics.

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