Observation of unexpectedly deformed neutron-rich magnesium nuclei prompts rethink of nuclear shell structure
Friday, January 10, 2014 - 09:31
in Physics & Chemistry
Although much is known about atoms and their nuclei, scientists continue to make surprising discoveries as they probe the properties of some of the more exotic isotopes. Pieter Doornenbal from the RIKEN Nishina Center for Accelerator-Based Science (RNC) and co‐workers have made another such discovery with the observation that magnesium nuclei with a large number of neutrons appear to lose the nuclear shell structure that has become fundamental to our understanding of the nucleus.