Nuclear physics is a research area focused on the structure, dynamics, and interactions of atomic nuclei and their constituent nucleons, governed primarily by the strong and weak nuclear forces within the framework of quantum many-body and quantum field theories. It investigates phenomena such as nuclear binding, excitations, decay modes, and reactions, including fission, fusion, and nucleosynthesis. The field encompasses experimental and theoretical studies of stable and exotic nuclei, hadronic matter under extreme conditions, and the emergence of collective behavior from underlying nucleon–nucleon interactions, often employing accelerators, detectors, and advanced computational methods to probe fundamental properties of nuclear systems and refine effective interaction models.
In 2024, TU Wien presented the world's first nuclear clock. Now it has been demonstrated that the technology can also be used to investigate unresolved questions in fundamental physics.
General Physics
Oct 27, 2025
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Physicists at MIT have developed a new way to probe inside an atom's nucleus, using the atom's own electrons as "messengers" within a molecule.
General Physics
Oct 23, 2025
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An experiment carried out at CERN's ISOLDE facility has determined the western shore of a small island of atomic nuclei, where conventional nuclear rules break down.
General Physics
Sep 2, 2025
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Nucleons, which include protons and neutrons, are the composite particles that make up atomic nuclei. While these particles have been widely studied in the past, their internal structure has not yet been fully elucidated.
Incorporated into every aspect of everyday life, the neutron is a fundamental particle of nature. Now, a research collaboration led by Los Alamos National Laboratory has improved the precision of free neutron lifetime measurements. ...
General Physics
Aug 4, 2025
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Though atomic nuclei are often depicted as static clusters of protons and neutrons (nucleons), the particles are actually bustling with movement. Thus, the nucleons carry a range of momenta. Sometimes, these nucleons may ...
General Physics
Jul 31, 2025
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The alchemist's dream is to make gold from common metals, but can this be done? The physics needed to explain how to change one element into another is well understood and has been used for decades in accelerators and colliders, ...
Plasma Physics
Jul 28, 2025
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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 of nuclei.
General Physics
Jul 9, 2025
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Solving life's great mysteries often requires detective work, using observed outcomes to determine their cause. For instance, nuclear physicists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility ...
General Physics
Jun 25, 2025
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A Los Alamos collaboration has replicated an important but largely forgotten physics experiment: the first deuterium-tritium (DT) fusion observation. As described in the article published in Physical Review C, the reworking ...
Plasma Physics
Jun 25, 2025
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