Physicists have, for the first time ever, successfully compressed an unstable nucleus, Nickel 56. This nucleus is not found on Earth but is present when a star explodes at the end of its life ...

The nuclei of certain atoms are stable and under ordinary circumstances, stable nuclei do not undergo change. The nuclei of other atoms are unstable. These nuclei undergo change spontaneously, that is ...

Imagine a world where energy is limitless, clean, and safe—without the environmental toll of fossil fuels or the risks of nuclear meltdowns. This is the promise of nuclear fusion, a process that ...

Let's talk Einstein and Nuclear Physics. What does E=MC2 actually mean? Why is it useful? It's time for our second to final Physics episode. So, let's talk Einstein and Nuclear Physics. What does ...

Radioactive decay is a fundamental process in nature by which an unstable atomic nucleus loses energy by radiation. Studying nuclear decay modes is crucial for understanding properties of atomic ...

Alpha decay represents a fundamental mode of radioactive disintegration wherein an unstable nucleus emits an alpha particle—a tightly bound cluster of two protons and two neutrons. This process not ...

Scientists may have reached a new level of understanding when it comes to the question of how heavy metallic elements originated, thanks to an isotope of tin. By bombarding tin-132 with neutrons, ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. The Universe is out there, waiting for you to discover it. Our Universe is old: 13.8 billion years old, to be precise. Many of the ...

An element is defined according to the number of protons contained inside the nucleus of each atom. No two elements have the same number of protons, hence each element has a unique atomic number. The ...

An international team of physicists has found strong evidence for the existence of a new ‘doubly magic’ nucleus with an unconventional configuration of neutrons. The oxygen–24 nucleus is also the ...