For decades, scientists believed that lead-208 (²⁰⁸Pb), the heaviest known "doubly magic" nucleus, was perfectly spherical.

Nuclear structure and scattering theory form the core of our understanding of atomic nuclei, unraveling how protons and neutrons interact via the strong force and arrange themselves into complex ...

Many atomic nuclei have a magnetic field similar to that of Earth. However, directly at the surface of a heavy nucleus such as lead or bismuth, it is trillions of times stronger than Earth's field and ...

An international research collaboration led by the University of Surrey’s Nuclear Physics Group has overturned the long-standing belief that the atomic nucleus of lead-208 (²⁰⁸Pb) is perfectly ...