Where is the proton? Yale scientists discover footprints of shared protons

[Physics.org-feed]

This week in Science, Yale researchers present "roadmaps" showing that shared protons, a common loose link between two biological molecules, simply vibrate between the molecules as a local oscillator, rather than intimately entangling with the molecular vibrations of the attached molecules.


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[DePurpereWolf]

Two oxygen atoms on different molecules are connected by their mutual attraction to an extra proton, shown as a fuzzy ball between them. The presence of such intermolecular binding can now be identified by monitoring the precise vibrational frequency of the bridging proton. Credit: Yale University.


This week in Science, Yale researchers present "roadmaps" showing that shared protons, a common loose link between two biological molecules, simply vibrate between the molecules as a local oscillator, rather than intimately entangling with the molecular vibrations of the attached molecules.


The research shows that the extra proton is associated with a specific pair of atoms on the two tethered molecules, participating in partial chemical bonds to both. "In biological systems, any time you have molecules with a nitrogen or oxygen, and add in an extra proton, the proton forms a bond with one of the extra electron pairs that are available," according Johnson. "It crashes the party and changes the character of the molecule."


Extending Johnson’s analogy, if another molecule containing nitrogen or oxygen comes by, the proton crashes that party, too. Because the proton is not deciding between one molecule and the other, it is creating a bond between them — crashing both parties at the same time. "A proton is a great handshaker that works the room until it gets to where it is needed," he said.


Van elektronen wist ik het wel, maar nog niet van protonen. Ik neem aan dat de bron van deze protonen natuurlijk waterstof is, je kan moeilijk een kern splijten.

[TBD]

Zou je mij dit even in het nederlands kunnen uitleggen? Ik ben nog niet zo vertrouwd met de engelse termen. Bedankt.