An international research team managed by the Swiss Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) has measured the radius of the atomic nucleus of helium five times more accurately than before. An important part of the collaboration was a complex laser system, which was developed with the participation of the Institute of Laser Technologies at the University of Stuttgart. [Picture: ETH Zurich, K. Schumann]
An international research team managed by the Swiss Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) has measured the radius of the atomic nucleus of helium five times more accurately than before. An important part of the collaboration was a complex laser system, which was developed with the participation of the Institute of Laser Technologies at the University of Stuttgart. Picture: ETH Zurich, K. Schumann] Helium is the second most abundant element in the universe after hydrogen. Helium nuclei consist of four components, namely two protons and two neutrons. Knowing the properties of the helium nucleus is crucial for fundamental physics, for example, in order to understand the processes in atomic nuclei that are heavier than helium. What we know so far about the helium nucleus comes from experiments with electrons. The researchers at the PSI have now developed a novel measurement method for the first time that allows five times higher accuracy.
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