Profile for Steven Verrall

Research and publishing

Current research emphasis is to explain certain fundamental particle masses, magnetic moments, charge generation, and charge radii from a novel quantum vortex formalism—based on the circular Unruh effect, general relativity, and quantum electrodynamics.  The circular Unruh effect is derived from quantum field theory.  Charge generation and structure is geometrically based on systems of one-dimensional standing waves of vacuum energy.

This research incorporates the effects of event horizons, which are considered an extension of the standard model of particle physics.  The modeled event horizons naturally connect to general relativity without the need for renormalization or additional hidden dimensions.  Mass and charge are modeled as emergent effects of a virtual electromagnetic vortex.  Both ground-state and quark-gluon plasma nuclear matter are assumed to undergo a phase change where mass and charge lose their point-like qualities and are instead distributed on lines and surfaces. 

At first glance, this approach may appear to involve graduate-level mathematics.  However, quite surprisingly (especially to ourselves), our ground-state and quark-gluon plasma modeling has so far involved mathematical techniques almost entirely within the scope of the PHY 103 and 104 courses.  As such, pre-med students have been making contributions to this research effort for the past 5 semesters.  Physics, ESS, computer science, psychology, and finance majors have also contributed in recent semesters.  Prior to Fall 2021, the only research student was a nuclear medicine technology major. 

The initial concepts were gradually developed during the 2017-2020 period, when it seemed highly unlikely that this approach could succeed.  The first stunningly accurate (3-digit precision) magnetic moment calculation was performed, as the result of a naive guess, in July 2020.  It took two subsequent years to determine why it worked with enough detail to write a manuscript.  The biggest hurdle we encountered was how to calculate the surface areas and volumes of the lemon and apple parts of the spindle torus.  After a great deal of fruitless searching, we eventually found the needed formulas derived on Peter Lynch's ThatsMaths blog: https://thatsmaths.com/2021/02/11/apples-and-lemons-in-a-doughnut/

Our next problem was that a published peer-reviewed academic reference for Lynch's equations could not be found.  Peter Lynch had derived them without consulting a reference, and surprisingly could not find one.  They are notably absent from Wolfram MathWorld "the web's most extensive mathematics resource."  In order to create an academic peer-reviewed reference, Peter Lynch was invited to coauthor the Appendix to our 2023 publication (linked below).  Lynch's equations constitute Equations 30-33 of the Appendix.  Equations 35 & 36 of the Appendix are known classically.  They were used to approximate the apple area and volume as a way to check the numerical accuracy of Lynch's equations.  For the case of the proton model in our 2023 publication, Equations 32, 33, 35, and 36 agree to almost 5-digit precision.

Recent Publications:

Verrall, S.C., Atkins, M., Kaminsky, A. et al. Ground State Quantum Vortex Proton Model. Found Phys 53, 28 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10701-023-00669-y https://rdcu.be/c32Op

Current Undergraduate Research Projects:

Neutron model, improved proton model, charge generation, low-energy fine-structure constant, and light quark masses (manuscript in preparation) 

Deuteron quark-gluon plasma mass distribution, shape, and size

Deuteron quark-gluon plasma magnetic moment