Defining the Proton Radius: a Unified Treatment — mentioned by whatshisface

Wed, 11 Sep 2019 15:18:27 GMT

Usually the radius of something like a proton or an atom takes the form of a parameter in an equation that just-so-happens to be measured in a unit of length. It's not defined specifically to be an indication of the extent of the particle, it just happens to roughly be about the right size. This paper[0] says that it is defined in terms of a "probability amplitude that an interaction between a photon of four-momentum q^μ (Q2=−q2) and a charged constituent of the proton can absorb such a momentum with the proton remaining in its ground state." So, not exactly a radius, but "radius" is an okay…

Paper and discussion history. A mention is not an endorsement.

Defining the Proton Radius: a Unified Treatment · HackerPapers discussions

Defining the Proton Radius: a Unified Treatment — mentioned by whatshisface