Neutron rest energy: reference versus prediction
Empirical reference and conditional model gap kept distinct
This page summarizes the linked research at its stated verification level. It is not a new proof certificate or experimental confirmation.
The measured reference
The NIST 2022 CODATA adjustment gives neutron rest energy 939.56542194(48) MeV. The parenthesized standard uncertainty is 0.00000048 MeV, or 0.48 eV. The retained complete NIST table was retrieved over HTTPS; mass/joule/MeV agreement is a unit-conversion check, not three independent measurements. NIST listing · Reference receipt.
What the model establishes conditionally
The completed continuum/contact model has an exactly enclosed positive internal gap near 0.185016977411665 model units. With an additionally supplied relativistic centre-of-mass law and positive energy unit ε, its lowest branch has invariant rest energy εE0 and mass εE0/c². The stationary bank action, positive open-channel threshold, kinetic completion and neutron-sector identification are separate assumptions. Removing the action or threshold supplies zero-gap controls; the carrier alone does not force positivity.
What must not become a prediction
Dividing the measured neutron energy by that model gap gives about 5078.26597907 MeV per model unit. This is circular target calibration, not independent agreement, and has not been applied to the model. Independent physical action/sector justification and independent scale information are required. Another fitted offset does not meet those obligations. Conditional completion and counterexamples · Measured versus derived boundary · Model receipt.
Checker: research/strominger/checkers/check_physical_neutron_rest_energy.py; research/strominger/checkers/check_neutron_rest_energy_completion.py
Result artifact: research/strominger/results/physical-neutron-rest-energy.json; research/strominger/results/neutron-rest-energy-completion.json