Newton's Hypotheses on the Structure of Matter

TL;DR

This paper reviews Newton's early hypotheses on matter's structure, their validation at atomic scales, conflicts with the Standard Model at subatomic levels, and discusses historical models and future collider experiments.

Contribution

It provides a historical and scientific analysis of Newton's hypotheses in relation to modern particle physics and discusses potential future experimental clarifications.

Findings

Newton's hypotheses confirmed at atomic and molecular scales.

Conflicts with the Standard Model at subatomic levels.

Future collider experiments may resolve current uncertainties.

Abstract

Isaac Newton's book 'Opticks' from the 18th century includes several hypotheses on the structure of matter. Most of the hypotheses were confirmed during the 19th and 20th centuries at the scale of atoms and molecules. Conflicts appear however with today's Standard Model of particle physics. The confirmations at atomic and molecular levels, and the conflicts at the subatomic level, are described and discussed here. Various precursors to the Standard Model for which the conflicts are less severe are also described. These date back to Yukawa's meson model of 1935, and they are subject to other uncertainties. Observations with electron-proton colliders that are under consideration by CERN could clarify the situation.