Electrodynamic Metanuclei

TL;DR

This paper proposes a new long-lived collective state called electrodynamic metanuclei, composed of charged scalars and fermions, which are metastable due to a balance of pressures and exhibit unique scaling properties and suppressed decay mechanisms.

Contribution

It introduces the concept of electrodynamic metanuclei, a novel metastable charged state with a specific internal structure and stability mechanism, extending the understanding of charged collective states.

Findings

Metanuclei have a surface charge with a neutral scalar interior.

They are stable against decay via tunneling and pair creation at large charges.

Metanuclei can be composed of various charged scalar particles.

Abstract

A relativistic system of electrically charged fermions and oppositely charged massive scalars with no self-interactions, is argued to have a long-lived collective state with a net charge. The charge is residing near the surface of the spherically-symmetric state, while the interior consists of the condensed scalars, that are neutralized by the fermions. The metastability is achieved by competition of the negative pressure of the scalar condensate, against the positive pressure, mainly due to the fermions. We consider such metanuclei made of helium-4 nuclei and electrons, below nuclear but above atomic densities. Typical metanuclei represent charged balls of the atomic size, colossal mass, electric charge and excess energy. Unlike an ordinary nucleus, the charge of a metanucleus scales proportionately to its radius. The quantum mechanical decay through tunneling, and vacuum instability via pair-creation, are both suppressed for large values of the electric charge. Similar states could also be composed of other charged (pseudo)scalars, such as the pions, scalar supersymmetric partners, or in general, spin-0 states of new physics.