Ģ��ֱ��

In the region, atomic nuclei experience enhanced neutron-proton pairing, thus posing a fertile ground for testing the validity of theoretical predictions.

Additionally, one finds isomers with unique features, and the astrophysical processes taking place in x-ray bursts traverses these nuclei.

Recently, researchers at the Accelerator Laboratory of the Ģ��ֱ�� implemented a combination of state-of-the-art technologies, including phase-imaging ion-cyclotron resonance (PI-ICR) Penning trap mass spectrometry, an inductively-heated hot cavity catcher ion source and resonance ionization spectroscopy.

These efforts are the culmination of over 10 years of developments, resulting in the first optical excursion below neutron number N=50 into the N=Z region of tin-100 with the measurement of the charge radius of silver-96.

The state-of-the-art techniques were matched with the latest theoretical approaches. Nuclear theoreticians at the Department of Physics utilized a novel implementation of nuclear density functional theory. While all theoretical models provided a good reproduction of the measured charge radii in heavier silver isotopes, none of the models were able predict the sharp increase seen in silver-96 when crossing the N=50 shell closure.

“This result poses a challenge to present theoretical models and motivates new theoretical developments”, says Postdoctoral Researcher Mikael Reponen from the Ģ��ֱ��, leader of the research.

This high-impact project attracted collaborators from CERN, Switzerland and MIT, USA, and has opened a window of opportunity to extend these studies to other very proton-rich nuclei near tin-100.

The research was published in Nature Communications 28^th of July, 2021:

For further information:

Mikael Reponen, University of Jyvaskylä, Mikael.h.t.reponen@jyu.fi, tel. +358 40 805 4113
/science/en/physics/research/infrastructures/accelerator-laboratory

Communications Specialist Tanja Heikkinen, University Communications, tanja.s.heikkinen@jyu.fi, tel. +358 50 472 1162
/en