stuff

[TimeLord]

It has come to my attention that neutrality (in the sense of neutral particles - neutrons, neutrinos, etc.) is a high internal energy state. The cause of this is a matter of understanding, but I have yet to experimentally verify it. Free neutrons are known to decay, and I am sure free neutrinos will also be shown to decay, as well as any similar neutral particles (neglecting photons).

Two charged particles spatially separated from each other possess a potential energy dependent on their relative charges and the distance between them. If one of these particles suddenly becomes neutral, this potential energy disappears; the energy is absorbed into the particle itself. It will neither be attracted nor repelled, and, before the change, a constant force must be exerted to maintain separation of charges.

Blah blah. Hungover again. /ttiforum/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Darby]

Two charged particles spatially separated from each other possess a potential energy dependent on their relative charges and the distance between them. If one of these particles suddenly becomes neutral, this potential energy disappears; the energy is absorbed into the particle itself.

In the case of electron decay we're back to our original discussion of conservation laws. If we assume that your charged particle is an electron and it decays the emitted particles would be a photon and neutrino or an electron and neutrino-antineutrino pair. Charge neutral but a violation of conservation of charge. It hasn't been observed but itsn't totally discounted.

If we assume the charged particle to be a proton it will undergo weak decay by the conversion of an up quark to a down quark and the emission of an electron and an electron antineitrino (or several other possible emitted particle pairs). The kinetic energy won't be absorbed by the newly formed neutron, it will be carried away by the emitted particles (.7819 MeV). The other charged particle will react to the process.