Question

The Sun’s core is, from the micro/quantum perspective, the constantly moving phenomena of nuclear fusion (as the Earth is mostly the constantly moving phenomena of stable atoms with electron orbits/clouds and their interconnections). So how can "volume", "space" and "distance" be put in the equivalent cross-referential contexts (that it seems must apply to the quantum/micro as well as macro size levels of things) for say, some lead on Earth vs. the Sun’s core? Both with respect to definition and measurement. How is volume defined and measured in nuclear physics, in particular regarding the Sun’s core ? Since we don't attempt to define the size of things like the Sun's core or the Earth's core down to the sub-millimetre level.

Answer 1

Volume in nuclear physics is context-dependent and varies when measuring dense plasma in the Sun's core versus a stable substance like lead on Earth.

Astrophysicists use solar models and sophisticated observations like helioseismology to estimate properties of the Sun's core, which is a high-pressure, high-temperature environment allowing nuclear fusion to occur.

Step-by-step explanation:

The concept of volume, space, and distance in nuclear physics, especially when discussing the Sun's core versus something like a piece of lead on Earth, encompasses different scales and requires different measurement techniques.

On the quantum level, the volume of a nucleus can be described considering the dense packing of protons and neutrons within it. In the context of the Sun's core, the measurement of volume involves estimating the space occupied by the extremely dense and hot plasma where nuclear fusion occurs.

At the scale of the Sun's core, which comprises about 20% of the solar interior, volume isn't defined or measured at the sub-millimetre level because standard measurement tools used on Earth are impractical in such extreme conditions.

Instead, astrophysicists use solar models to describe the structure of the Sun's interior and use observations such as helioseismology to estimate pressure, temperature, mass, and luminosity relative to distance from the Sun's center.

These scientific models and observations help describe the Sun's core as a densely packed, high-pressure environment where nuclear fusion of hydrogen into helium occurs at temperatures of approximately 15 million Kelvin.

This differs significantly from measuring volume in a piece of lead on Earth, where atomic scales are stable and measurable using conventional physics and laboratory instruments.