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The Kamiokande experiments measure proton decay using water, i.e. probing the proton in an H-atom. The electron in the H-atom has a nonzero probability at the proton position. It is well known that the environment influences decay (neutron), electromagnetic forces influence decay (neutral pion) and last not least the proton can react directly with an electron as evidenced by electron capture. Thus to some degree one should expect a difference in the decay of the proton in H and a free proton. Is there any possibility to estimate such an effect?

qatch
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Well there might be a difference. Proton decay is "beyond the standard model" stuff after all. The nuclear binding of the neutrons might make the mass of the proton in question lower mass than even a pion and so would not decay into any meson and would keep staying as a proton. However electrons would probably not have much of a difference on a proton for the most part unless there are a ton of electrons. The binding energy between electrons and protons are of the electromagnetic type. The binding between protons and neutrons(the so called nucleons) are the strong force type. It turns out the strong force(not only being stronger than the strong force) is 137 times stronger than electromagnetism. There might be.

Later on in the article it describes something about free protons being rare and the decay into lighter particles might not be allowed because of this: https://www.forbes.com/sites/startswithabang/2020/01/03/how-certain-are-we-that-protons-dont-decay/#1e4995803544

MiltonTheMeme
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  • It also must be noted that protons rarely decay and the reason that they have a tank of water is to increase the chance that at least one of the protons would decay. Of course everything is made of atoms which are made of protons and we have not observed any sign of proton decay or any gamma ray signature(we might have). So it is to say this slight difference might play a role but it might be really rare to spot a regular old proton decay. – MiltonTheMeme May 18 '20 at 14:45