In atoms, protons and neutrons orbit the nucleus in one or more shells. Each shell has a specific limit on the number of protons or neutrons it can hold. When these shells are full, the resulting ...

Large atomic nuclei, containing many protons and neutrons, tend to be unstable. But stable nuclei do exist, and can be seen as an 'island of stability' on a graph of proton number against neutron ...

In nuclear physics, "magic numbers" identify specific numbers of protons or neutrons that lead to especially stable nuclei. Recognizing these numbers helps scientists better understand the structure ...

An international team of scientists succeeded for the first time to determine the binding energies of the atomic nuclei of the exotic potassium isotopes 52K und 53K by mass spectrometry. The ...

Scientists have shown that 34 is a ''magic number'' for neutrons, meaning that atomic nuclei with 34 neutrons are more stable than would normally be expected. Earlier experiments had suggested, but ...

A team of physicists led by nuclear physicist Yosuke Kondo of the Tokyo Institute of Technology in Japan has discovered Oxygen-28, a new isotope of Oxygen. Oxygen-28 has the highest number of neutrons ...

Researchers at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, discovered that neutron-deficient gold nuclei display a shape-shifting mechanism similar to that observed in mercury and bismuth ...

All of us probably know what neutrons are, or have at least heard of them back in physics class. Yet these little bundles of quarks are much more than just filler inside an atom’s nucleus. In addition ...

Together with results by some nuclear mass models (denoted by pink block), calculations suggest that the isospin asymmetry of heavy nuclei at the neutron drip line tends toward a saturation value. The ...

Nuclear physicists have made the most neutron-rich form of sodium yet, which will help reveal more about the complex world of nuclei. Image by KTSDESIGN/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY In extremely neutron-rich ...