CERN’s ISOLTRAP reveals new magic in the atomic nucleus
Geneva, 19 June 2013. The ISOLTRAP collaboration has measured the mass of exotic calcium nuclei using a new instrument installed at the ISOLDE facility at CERN2. The measurements clearly establish a new "magic number" related to the stability of this exotic species. The results cast light on how nuclei can be described in terms of the fundamental strong force. " This measurement from a classic ISOLDE low-energy experiment complements well recent key results on radon, observed by post-accelerated beams, and on astatine, observed at the source with lasers, " said CERN's Director-General, Rolf Heuer. " It demonstrates beautifully that ISOLDE has a wealth of tools for producing exciting physics. " The results strengthen the prominence in calcium isotopes of a magic number that was not foreseen in the original "nuclear shell model", for which Maria Goeppert-Mayer and Hans Jensen received the Nobel Prize in 1963, exactly 50 years ago.
