Hi Horace, I have been thinking about trapped electrons, and I am not sure they are trapped at all. My reasoning is as follows, please correct any errors.
I'll use the following reaction as an example: Ni62 + H -> Cu63 + 6.123 MeV In Cu63 there are no electrons in the nucleus (normally), so the binding energy we have for Cu63 isn't what it would be with an electron in the nucleus. When an electron is in the nucleus, it masks (compensates for) the charge of a proton, so the repulsion of that proton to all the others doesn't exist. That means that when such a masked proton enters the nucleus the energy gain is larger than 6.123 MeV because the nuclear binding force is not opposed by the proton repulsion. It is only once the electron has left that we are left with Cu-63 which was the end product in the reaction above. So what I am trying to say is that 6.123 MeV is what is left over *after the electron has left the nucleus*, not what is left over with the electron still in the nucleus. You can also see this by doing the following: 1) Convert the initial H atom into a neutron by adding 782 keV. H + 782 keV -> n 2) Add the neutron to Ni62 creating Ni63. Ni62 + n -> Ni63 + 6.837 MeV (as gamma radiation) At this point one essentially has the situation where both proton and electron are in the nucleus together, except that 782 keV has been added when converting H to neutron. 3) Allow the Ni63 to decay to Cu63 expelling the electron as beta radiation. Ni63 -> Cu63 + e- + 67.9 keV (this is where the electron leaves the nucleus) At this point we have the same result as in the first reaction, i.e. the electron is now outside the nucleus. The net energy balance is as follows: -0.782 MeV (negative because we had to add it to create the neutron) +6.837 MeV +0.068 MeV ---------- +6.123 MeV = reaction energy from the first reaction (as one would expect). In short after H has fused with Ni62 and the electron has left the nucleus there is still 6.123 MeV left over, hence the electron is not trapped, in fact there is enough energy for the electron to leave the nucleus and still have 6.123 MeV left over. That means that when a masked proton reacts, the electron could carry the reaction energy rather than it coming out in the form of gamma rays. That isn't the case with a neutron because the neutron first has to undergo a slow weak force reaction, whereas a masked proton is essentially still two separate particles, and no weak force mediated reaction is needed to "create" the electron. Regards, Robin van Spaandonk http://rvanspaa.freehostia.com/Project.html
