Scientists have discovered a surprising property of electrons. While it is already known that they can "tunnel" through energy barriers like the Coulomb barrier in stars and the strong nuclear force in radioactive decay, it wasn't known that they spring back to the nucleus mid-penetration and recharge back out. It's as if some nuclear awareness of a barrier pulls them back to increase potential energy, as the arm pulls an arrow back when holding a bow, to release it with the extra strength.
The finding supports string theory because it shows how intimately electrons are connected to the nucleus by vibrational patterns. It may have something to do with the electromagnetic force interacting with the strong nuclear force- two of the four known fundamental forces of physics. Since it has been proven that the stronger strong force unites with the electroweak force at higher energies, it follows that such high energy is what propels the electron back then forward, like a slingshot. Note that while the electroweak force is an integration of electromagnetic and weak nuclear forces, the added component of the strong nuclear force is fiercely demonstrated by this new finding in quantum tunneling, supporting a unified theory of at least three of the four fundamental forces of physics. Gravity remains the elusive maverick.
Pohang University of Science & Technology (POSTECH). <Quantum tunneling mystery solved after 100 years—and it involves a surprise collision | ScienceDaily>.ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 28 July 2025.
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