Through mass measurements of silicon-22 combined with theoretical calculations, researchers have revealed that silicon-22 possesses a double-magic structure similar to that of oxygen-22, while also ...

Why do some elements decay in minutes, while others last billions of years? Certain "magic numbers" of nuclear particles may make all the difference. When you purchase through links on our site, we ...

In nuclear physics, "magic numbers" identify specific numbers of protons or neutrons that lead to especially stable nuclei. Recognizing these numbers helps scientists better understand the structure ...

Artemis Spyrou receives funding from the US National Science Foundation. Sean Liddick receives funding from the Department of Energy, Office of Science and the Department of Energy, National Nuclear ...

Some atoms are stable, while others seem to fall apart. Lead-208 will probably last forever, while the synthetic isotope technetium-99 exists for just hours. The difference lies in the structure of ...

There’s an old story from the Jewish tradition about a group of rabbis debating who owns a bird found near a property line. The rule seems simple—birds on one side belong to the property owner, birds ...