In atoms, protons and neutrons orbit the nucleus in one or more shells. Each shell has a specific limit on the number of protons or neutrons it can hold. When these shells are full, the resulting ...

The nucleus at the heart of an atom is held together by a subtle balance between the nuclear force that binds protons and neutrons and the electric repulsion that tries to fling the positively charged ...

For most atomic nuclei, the maximum number of neutrons that can be bound is unknown. The discovery of two neutron-rich nuclei — and the confirmed absence of others — might help solve this conundrum.

Scientists have shown that 34 is a ''magic number'' for neutrons, meaning that atomic nuclei with 34 neutrons are more stable than would normally be expected. Earlier experiments had suggested, but ...

In the nuclear family, the neutron is clearly the black sheep. Unlike its sibling the proton, the neutron is eccentrically — and irritatingly — neutral. Because they have no electrical charge, ...