For the First Time, Scientists Measure the Size of a One-Neutron Halo with Lasers

Atomic nuclei are normally compact structures defined by a sharp border. About twenty-five years ago, it was discovered at the University of California in Berkeley that there are exceptions to this picture: Certain exotic atomic nuclei contain particles that shear off from the central core and create a cloud, which surrounds the central core like a 'heiligenschein' or halo. An example of such a halo occurs in beryllium-11, a specific isotope of the metal beryllium. Here, the halo is made up of a single neutron.

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