Neutrinos can pass through the whole Earth, and almost none of them is stoped. A trick to get a neutrino ray and block all other particles is to not build a tunel and let a few miles of soil absorb all other particles. So a few electrons more or less concentrated arround a gallium atom have no effect. Considering the electronic distribution is an interesting idea, but not for the shelling effect.
This is not my area so I have to guess more than what I'm confortable. Anyway, the difference between the electons in gallium and germanium is an aditional electron in a p orbital. An electron in a p orbital has some probability of beein nearby the nuclei.
The decay from germanium to galium is an electron capture Ge + e -> Ga + ν , so the "postion" of the electon is important, but I'm not sure how important. But in this experiment they are measuring the inverse reaction Ga + ν -> Ge + e and comparing the rates of both reactions.
So ... perhaps it's possible that the change of the electon density distribution causes a change in these decay/undecay. I never heard something similar, and I expect the effect is neligible, but this is not my area so I can't rule it out.
Yes I understand the traditional objections to this idea. I don’t think you’ve quite grasped what I propose tho. Consider this: The reaction v_e + (71)Ga → (71)Ge + e− involves the release of an electron. The local electronic environment, including electron orbitals or metallic bonds in liquid gallium, can influence this electron's energy levels and spatial distribution. These changes can affect the reaction rate and shift the equilibrium position of the reaction, potentially making the forward reaction less favored and accounting for the 20% discrepancy. So, while neutrinos primarily interact via the weak nuclear force, the electron release means the local electronic environment can subtly impact the overall reaction dynamics.
Then we agree. I though you were thinking about shelling like a plumber wall or like the core electrons in an atom.
In the released electron has low energy, perhaps some change of the electriñonic configuration may cause a problem(???). (Triple question mark because I think it's possible but I never heard something similar.)
Also, in solid germanium the electronic didtribution is affected by the bands, that is another can of worms. In liquid gallium I'm not sure what happens. (And an isolated germanium atom disolved in liquid gallium may have also an unusual electronic distribution.)
This is not my area so I have to guess more than what I'm confortable. Anyway, the difference between the electons in gallium and germanium is an aditional electron in a p orbital. An electron in a p orbital has some probability of beein nearby the nuclei.
The decay from germanium to galium is an electron capture Ge + e -> Ga + ν , so the "postion" of the electon is important, but I'm not sure how important. But in this experiment they are measuring the inverse reaction Ga + ν -> Ge + e and comparing the rates of both reactions.
So ... perhaps it's possible that the change of the electon density distribution causes a change in these decay/undecay. I never heard something similar, and I expect the effect is neligible, but this is not my area so I can't rule it out.