How dense would neutron matter be?

In summary, putting neutrons in a bottle would not result in a significant difference in weight compared to a bottle of bare protons. The density of neutrons in a neutron star is close to the maximum density allowed by the Pauli exclusion principle. Thermal neutrons have the ability to diffuse through bottle walls and may be captured by other nuclei. However, sealing the bottle should prevent the neutrons from escaping.
  • #1
hurricane89
19
0
if you took plain neutrons, and put them in a bottle would a bottle full of neutrons weigh less than a bottle of bear protons with no electrons arround?
 
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  • #2
You'd have to squeeze them to change the density any. In a neutron star (that's a collapsed star that started out more massive than the sun, and ended up the same size as some asteroids--10ish km in diameter) neutrons at the core of the star avoid collapse via the Pauli exclusion principle. In other words, it's about as dense as matter can get without turning into whatever black holes are made of.

Average densities are tabulated in the link below:
http://hypertextbook.com/facts/1998/AnthonyColgan.shtml
 
  • #3
I don't think your question matches the title. Putting particles in a bottle is a different situation than the density of a substance. Certainly the inward force provided by glass walls is much smaller than the inward force of gravity from a neutron star.
 
  • #4
Why would the neutrons stay in the bottle?
 
  • #5
Thermal neutrons, which are not sensitive to the Coulomb forces in atoms or to the Pauli exclusion principle (except inside nuclei), will diffuse through the bottle walls until they are captured by nuclei that usually go through (n,gamma) reactions. Sometimes they go through (n,alpha) reactions like neutron capture on boron-10. Protons, which are repelled by other other protons or by nuclei, will stop in the bottle walls and capture electrons from the other nuclei. Hydrogen atoms, being small, can diffuse into the bottle walls (or back into the gas as hydrogen) and cause hydrogen embrittlement, especially in steels. This is a concern in the development of the hydrogen economy. To get a sense of the density of a proton gas, it is now possible to buy capacitors that hold a Coulomb of (electron) charge. But a mole (gram molecular weight) of protons contains 96,000 Coulombs of charge.
 
  • #6
Bob S said:
Thermal neutrons, which are not sensitive to the Coulomb forces in atoms or to the Pauli exclusion principle (except inside nuclei), will diffuse through the bottle walls until they are captured by nuclei that usually go through (n,gamma) reactions. Sometimes they go through (n,alpha) reactions like neutron capture on boron-10. Protons, which are repelled by other other protons or by nuclei, will stop in the bottle walls and capture electrons from the other nuclei. Hydrogen atoms, being small, can diffuse into the bottle walls (or back into the gas as hydrogen) and cause hydrogen embrittlement, especially in steels. This is a concern in the development of the hydrogen economy. To get a sense of the density of a proton gas, it is now possible to buy capacitors that hold a Coulomb of (electron) charge. But a mole (gram molecular weight) of protons contains 96,000 Coulombs of charge.

so the neutrons wouldn't even be able to stay in the bottle because theyde just go through the walls? also, do you mean through like a path straight through the walls of the bottle?
 
  • #7
alxm said:
Why would the neutrons stay in the bottle?

if you seal it they shouldn't escape right
 

Related to How dense would neutron matter be?

1. What is neutron matter?

Neutron matter is a hypothetical state of matter composed of densely packed neutrons. It is considered to be one of the most dense forms of matter in the universe.

2. How is the density of neutron matter measured?

The density of neutron matter is typically measured in units of mass per volume, such as grams per cubic centimeter. It can also be expressed in terms of the number of neutrons per unit volume.

3. How dense is neutron matter compared to other forms of matter?

Neutron matter is incredibly dense, with estimates ranging from 10^17 grams per cubic centimeter to 10^18 grams per cubic centimeter. This is significantly denser than the density of atomic nuclei, which is around 10^14 grams per cubic centimeter.

4. Can neutron matter be found naturally on Earth?

No, neutron matter is not found naturally on Earth. It is thought to exist in the core of neutron stars, which are extremely dense and massive objects that form after the collapse of a supernova.

5. What is the significance of studying the density of neutron matter?

Understanding the density of neutron matter can provide insights into the behavior and properties of neutron stars, which are important objects in astrophysics. It can also help scientists better understand the fundamental forces and interactions at work in the universe.

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