Physical Science International Journal 15(2): 1-25, 2017; Article no.PSIJ.34889 ISSN: 2348-0130 Metastable Non-Nucleonic States of Nuclear Matter: Phenomenology Timashev Serge 1,2* 1Karpov Institute of Physical Chemistry, Moscow, Russia. 2National Research Nuclear University MEPhI, Moscow, Russia. Author’s contribution The sole author designed, analyzed and interpreted and prepared the manuscript. Article Information DOI: 10.9734/PSIJ/2017/34889 Editor(s): (1) Prof. Yang-Hui He, Professor of Mathematics, City University London, UK And Chang-Jiang Chair Professor in Physics and Qian-Ren Scholar, Nan Kai University, China & Tutor and Quondam-Socius in Mathematics, Merton College, University of Oxford, UK. (2) Roberto Oscar Aquilano, School of Exact Science, National University of Rosario (UNR),Rosario, Physics Institute (IFIR)(CONICET-UNR), Argentina. Reviewers: (1) Alejandro Gutiérrez-Rodríguez, Universidad Autónoma de Zacatecas, Mexico. (2) Arun Goyal, Delhi University, India. (3) Stanislav Fisenko, Moscow State Linguistic University, Russia. Complete Peer review History: http://www.sciencedomain.org/review-history/20031 Received 17 th June 2017 Accepted 8th July 2017 Original Research Article th Published 13 July 2017 ABSTRACT A hypothesis of the existence of metastable states for nuclear matter with a locally shaken-up nucleonic structure of the nucleus, was proposed earlier. Such states are initiated by inelastic scattering of electrons by nuclei along the path of weak nuclear interaction. The relaxation of such nuclei is also determined by weak interactions. The use of the hypothesis makes it possible to physically interpret a rather large group of experimental data on the initiation of low energy nuclear reactions (LENRs) and the acceleration of radioactive α- and β-decays in a low-temperature plasma. The possible mechanisms of LENRs implemented in a Rossi E-CAT reactor are discussed. It is also suggested that the metastable isu -states of a different type occur as a result of high- energy collisions of particles, when heavy hadrons (baryons, mesons) are formed in the collisions of protons with characteristic energies higher than 1 TeV. This kind of concept makes it possible to + − physically interpret the recently recorded anomaly in the angular e e correlations of positron- electron pairs emitted in the radioactive decays of excited 8Be nuclei formed by the interaction between protons with kinetic energy ~ 1 MeV and 7Li nuclei. A recent hypothesis of the existence of yet another, fifth fundamental interaction by Feng et al, in addition to the strong/weak nuclear, electromagnetic, and gravitational interactions, might be introduced to explain this anomaly. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ *Corresponding author: E-mail: [email protected]; Serge; PSIJ, 15(2): 1-25, 2017; Article no.PSIJ.34889 Keywords: Metastable non-nucleonic states of nuclear matter; low energy nuclear reactions; heavy hadrons; heavy quarks; inner shake-up state of nuclear matter. 1. INTRODUCTION down quarks and electrons, but with relatively suppressed (and possible vanishing) couplings to Recent studies [1,2] suggested that there might protons (and neutrinos) relative to neutrons, i.e. it be a fifth fundamental interaction, in addition to interacts with neutrons but is “protophobic” and the strong/weak nuclear, electromagnetic, and ignores protons. The latter allows one to explain gravitational ones. They were initiated by the why the X boson might have avoided earlier study [3], in which the authors studied the detection. It was shown that the Standard Model radioactive decays of excited 8Be nuclei with can be easily extended to accommodate a light energies of 17.64 and 18.15 MeV, formed in the gauge boson with protophobic quark couplings interaction of protons with kinetic energy Ep = [2]. As a result, the postulated boson was 7 1.10 MeV and Li nuclei, using LiF 2 and LiO 2 associated with a new, fifth, fundamental targets. The above excited states were recorded interaction, which should be introduced into the as resonances at Ep = 0.441 MeV and Ep = 1.03 physical science [1,2]. 7 γ 8 MeV in the process Li ( p, ) Be under study. It will be shown below that the recorded The authors [3] studied the formation of a + − + − anomalies in the angular e e correlations in the positron-electron pair e – e resulting from the radioactive decay of excited 8Be nuclei can be internal conversion that accompanies the birth of qualitatively interpreted on the basis of a new two α -particles in the radioactive decay of the concept rather than the fundamental hypotheses 8Be nuclei. They expected a sharp drop in the made in [1,2]. We assume that metastable states + probability of the correlated formation of an e – can occur in the nuclear matter when the mass of − Θ the nucleus is insufficient to bind a part of the e pair as the opening angle between quarks into nucleons, which gives rise to local positrons and electrons in the laboratory frame of shake-ups in the nucleonic structure of the reference increases. However, they recorded an nucleus. For these anomalous excited states, the “anomalous” increase in the angular function relaxation dynamics of the nuclei crucially Θ 0 within an angular range of ~ 130-140 , depends on the weak nuclear interaction. Earlier, considering this anomaly as a result of the this assumption made it possible to physically + − formation of the e e pair in the decay of a interpret a rather large set of experimental data hypothetical neutral isoscalar boson formed in on the initiation of LENRs and acceleration of the above process, with a rest mass equal to radioactive α- и β-decays in a low-temperature 16.7 MeV/ c2, where с is the speed of light in plasma. It will be shown that such states of the vacuum. In this decay, the opening angle would nuclear matter with a shaken-up nucleonic be 180° in the system of the center of mass of structure can occur in the high-energy collisions + − the e e pair. It was suggested that the of nuclei too, such as protons in the colliding beams with characteristic energies higher than 1 introduced isoscalar boson, with its expected -14 TeV. The concept to be introduced will allow one lifetime of ~ 10 s, might be a good candidate to understand why the decay of highly excited for the relatively light gauge boson performing hadrons (baryons, mesons) formed in these the role of the mediator in the secluded WIMP collisions is effectuated by the weak nuclear dark matter scenario. However, the later analysis 8 interaction. [1,2] showed that the Be anomaly, which is consistent with all existing experimental 2. ELECTRON FACTOR IN INITIATING constraints, can be adequately interpreted only when one puts forward a hypothesis of existence NUCLEAR PROCESSES of another type of boson, a protophobic gauge Phenomenological approach [4-7] implies that vector boson X, which is produced in the decay 8 the dynamic interrelation between the electron of the excited state of Be* down to the ground 8 8 and nuclear subsystems of an atom, which is state, Be* → Be*X , and then decays as X → + − mediated by the electromagnetic component of e e . It is the boson that could be related to the the physical vacuum (EM vacuum), is the key elusive dark matter in the Universe. According to factor in initiating LENRs [8-12] and the [1,2], this gauge boson, with a mass of about 17 radioactive decay of nuclei [5,8,13]. This 2 MeV/ c , is the mediator of the weak force. The interrelation manifests itself in experimentally boson has milli-charged couplings to up and recorded facts that the occurrence of radioactive 2 Serge; PSIJ, 15(2): 1-25, 2017; Article no.PSIJ.34889 decay of nuclei is accounted for by the positive of quarks involving vector W -bosons. At the difference between the total mass of the initial same time, the deficit of the total mass of this atom subsystems, electron and nuclear (whole nucleus prevents from the formation of a neutron. atom rather than the nucleus alone), and the total The resulting state of local anomaly in the mass of its decay products [14,15]. When the nuclear matter with a shaken-up nucleonic mechanisms of LENRs and the decay of atomic structure is characterized as a metastable inner- A shake-up state, or isu -state. The latter is nucleus Z N (Z and A are the atomic and mass indicated by the subscript on the right of the numbers of the nucleus N , respectively) are nucleus symbol in the right-hand side of (1). The considered, the nuclear matter is usually subscript in the electron symbol in the left-hand represented in the form of interacting nucleons. side of (1) indicates that this stage of the process In the K-capture, however, when the electron of is activated. The initiated chain of virtual the inner shells of an atom interacts with the conversions of quarks in which the vector W- surface of the nucleus, giving rise to a new bosons are involved must be interrupted by the daughter nucleus, the nucleonic structure of the − nuclear matter is unchanged. At the initial irreversible decay of the virtual W -boson producing the initial nucleus, electron, and irreversible stage of this process, the electron ~ interacting with the nucleus surface emits a antineutrino ν : − neutrino ν . The resulting virtual vector W - A → A + − + ν~ boson, integrated into the nuclear matter, Z- 1 M isu Z N e . (2) interacts with the u-quark of one of the protons and is converted to a d-quark. As a result, this Consequently, the overall process can be proton is converted to a neutron, and a nucleus represented as an inelastic scattering of an A electron by the initial nucleus: Z- 1 M is formed.