While protons populate the nucleus of every atom in the universe, sometimes they can be squeezed into a smaller size and slip out of the nucleus for a romp on their own. Observing these squeezed protons may offer unique insights ...
General Physics
Feb 26, 2021
12
839
Theories were introduced as far back as the 1960s about the possible existence of superheavy elements. Their most long-lived nuclei could give rise to a so-called "island of stability" far beyond the element uranium. However, ...
General Physics
Jan 26, 2021
1
1484
Led by the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory, a new study clears up a discrepancy regarding the biggest contributor of unwanted background signals in specialized detectors of neutrinos. Better characterization ...
General Physics
Dec 14, 2020
4
921
Scientists often refer to the neutrino as the "ghost particle." Neutrinos were one of the most abundant particles at the origin of the universe and remain so today. Fusion reactions in the sun produce vast armies of them, ...
General Physics
Sep 29, 2020
0
336
Through a one-of-a-kind experiment at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory, nuclear physicists have precisely measured the weak interaction between protons and neutrons. The result quantifies the weak ...
General Physics
Sep 24, 2020
6
1590
Nine seconds. An eternity in some scientific experiments; an unimaginably small amount in the grand scheme of the universe. And just long enough to confound nuclear physicists studying the lifetime of the neutron.
General Physics
Sep 7, 2020
215
2573
In atomic nuclei, protons and neutrons share energy and momentum in tight quarters. But exactly how they share the energy that keeps them bound within the nucleus—and even where they are within the nucleus—remain key ...
General Physics
Sep 4, 2020
99
1877
A mystery surrounding the space around our solar system is unfolding thanks to evidence of supernovae found in deep-sea sediments.
Astronomy
Aug 25, 2020
8
238
Analysis of meteorite content has been crucial in advancing our knowledge of the origin and evolution of our solar system. Some meteorites also contain grains of stardust. These grains predate the formation of our solar system ...
General Physics
Aug 10, 2020
0
35
Nuclear physicists are trying to understand how particles called quarks and gluons combine to form hadrons, composite particles made of two or three quarks. To study this process, called hadronization, a team of nuclear physicists ...
General Physics
Jul 15, 2020
1
359
