Physicists Stunned: Lead-208’s Shape Just Broke a Fundamental Rule of Nuclear Physics
For decades, scientists believed that lead-208, a "doubly magic" and highly stable atomic nucleus, was perfectly spherical.
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Nuclear physics articles from across Nature Portfolio
Nuclear physics is the study of the protons and neutrons at the centre of an atom and the interactions that hold them together in a space just a few femtometres (10-15 metres) across. Example ...