Scientists at the Institute of Modern Physics (IMP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and their partners have successfully created two new isotopes—osmium-160 and tungsten-156. This breakthrough provides new insights into nuclear structures and suggests that lead-164 could be a doubly magic nucleus with enhanced stability.
The concept of “magic numbers” of protons and neutrons can significantly increase the stability of an atomic nucleus. Previous research has revealed the disappearance of traditional magic numbers and the emergence of new ones on the neutron-rich side of the chart of nuclides.
Could other traditional magic numbers vanish in the extremely neutron-deficient nuclear region? Further exploration is necessary to advance nuclear theories and deepen our understanding of nuclear forces.
For this study, scientists conducted the experiment at the gas-filled recoil separator, Spectrometer for Heavy Atoms and Nuclear Structure (SHANS), at the Heavy Ion Research Facility in Lanzhou (HIRFL), China.
By utilizing the fusion evaporation reaction, osmium-160 and tungsten-156 were synthesized for the first time. The α-particle energy and the half-life of osmium-160, an α-emitting isotope, were measured. Additionally, it was determined that the daughter nucleus, tungsten-156, is a β+ emitter with a half-life of 291 ms.
2024-02-19 10:00:04
Link from phys.org