Nitrogen-9 nucleus
WHY IN NEWS ?
Recent study published in Physical Review Letters, presents strong evidence for the existence of an unusual nitrogen-9 isotope.
About Nitrogen-9 nucleus:
- It is characterised by seven protons and two neutrons – which is an unusually high proton-to-neutron ratio.
- This disparity has a critical effect on the isotope’s stability, influencing its decay processes as well as overall behaviour.
- For one, the high proton content places nitrogen-9 atoms beyond the conventional stability thresholds.
Implications of existence of Nitrogen-9:
- The study provides strong evidence for the existence of nitrogen-9, challenging previous interpretations in nuclear physics.
- The discovery adds a new point to the nuclide chart, opening up possibilities for more isotopes at the limits defined by drip lines.
- The study opens avenues for further exploration and contributes to our understanding of the fundamental building blocks of matter.
What are nuclides?
- It is an analogous table for atomic nuclei characterised by a unique combination of protons and neutrons.
- A table or chart of nuclides is a two-dimensional graph of isotopes of the elements.
- One axis shows the number of neutrons (N) and the other shows the number of protons (Z) in each atomic nucleus.
- Each point on the graph denotes a nuclide.
SOURCE – TOI
