Nuclear structure & decays is a research area in nuclear physics that investigates the internal configuration, quantum states, and dynamical behavior of atomic nuclei, along with the mechanisms by which unstable nuclei transform via radioactive decay. It encompasses the development and application of models such as shell, collective, and mean-field theories to describe nucleon distributions, energy levels, and transition probabilities, and studies decay modes including alpha, beta, gamma, and fission processes. The field integrates experimental spectroscopy, reaction studies, and advanced many-body calculations to elucidate nuclear forces, shape coexistence, isomerism, and the evolution of structure far from stability, informing both fundamental theory and applications in astrophysics and nuclear technology.
A team of researchers at the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) at Michigan State University (MSU) has discovered that cobalt-70 isotopes form different nuclear shapes when their energy levels differ only slightly. The ...
General Physics
Jun 9, 2025
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Researchers from the Institute of Modern Physics (IMP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and their collaborators have synthesized a new isotope—protactinium-210—for the first time. It is the most neutron-deficient isotope ...
General Physics
Jun 6, 2025
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For the first time in almost 30 years, the heaviest nucleus decaying via proton emission has been measured. The previous similar breakthrough was achieved in 1996.
General Physics
Jun 4, 2025
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One of the things that makes the main particle accelerator at the U.S. Department of Energy's Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility unique is that it was the first linear accelerator to deliver a continuous stream ...
General Physics
May 14, 2025
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An international team of scientists has identified an unexpected region of heavy, neutron-deficient isotopes in the nuclear chart where nuclear fission is predominantly governed by an asymmetric mode. The experiment was conducted ...
General Physics
May 14, 2025
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From the powdered wings of a butterfly to the icy spines of a snowflake, symmetry is a common feature in nature. This often even holds true down to the smallest bits of matter, which helps nuclear physicists ensure their ...
General Physics
May 9, 2025
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Neutrinos and antineutrinos are elementary particles with small but unknown mass. High-precision atomic mass measurements at the Accelerator Laboratory of the University of Jyväskylä, Finland, have revealed that beta decay ...
General Physics
May 6, 2025
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For the first time, a research team has successfully produced one of the most neutron-rich isotopes, hydrogen-6, in an electron scattering experiment.
General Physics
Apr 30, 2025
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Exotic nuclei near and beyond the proton drip line exhibit a range of unique decay processes, including β-delayed proton emission, α decay, and direct proton radioactivity. Spectroscopic studies utilizing high-efficiency, ...
General Physics
Apr 29, 2025
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Studies that explore how the denser sections of atoms, known as atomic nuclei, interact with neutrons (i.e., particles with no electric charge) can have valuable implications both for the understanding of these atoms' underlying ...
