The exclusive interaction

Abstract

It is proposed that there exists a fifth basic interaction from which the Pauli exclusion principle can be deduced. Such an interaction would affect only particles of half integral spin, whose total number is less than the number of particles which participate directly in the strong interaction. This is the reason for choosing the name exclusive interaction, which, like the strong interaction, would be expected to obey a relatively large number of conservation laws and symmetry principles. The tentative mathematical expression for this interaction

$$V(r,\sigma ) = \frac{g}{r}\cos (cr)\exp ({{ - r} \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {{ - r} R}} \right. \kern-\nulldelimiterspace} R})\left[ {\frac{{1 + \cdot }}{2}} \right]$$

is suggested by a discussion of fermion-fermion scattering in the Born approximation. It is found that a potential energy of this form may be used instead of antisymmetrizing the wave function in the manner required by the Pauli principle. An investigation of the binding of helium-like atoms is expected to lead to a determination of the relative strengthg/ħc and the rangeR of this interaction.