Overview of Proton Halo Discovery
Recent research by the Institute of Modern Physics (IMP) at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, in collaboration with international experts, has achieved groundbreaking results in nuclear physics. Precise mass measurements of exotic atomic nuclei have uncovered proton halo structures and the proton dripline for aluminum, phosphorus sulfur, and argon. This study introduces an innovative method to explore the elusive proton halo phenomenon.
Understanding Proton Halos
The atomic, a quantum many-body system of protons and neutrons, maintains a similar to nearby nuclei However, weakly bound nuclei sometimes exhibit an called a halo, where valence nucleonsprotons orrons) extend far the typical radius. While neutron are frequently observed, halos are mucher due to theelling force of the Coulomb barrier.
Yu Yue, a.D. student at IMP co-first author of the study, explained, "Proton halo nuclei are challenging to detect experimentally the Coulomb hampers their formation. However, precise measurements allow us to uncover hints of proton halo structures."
Advanced Techniques and DiscoveriesThe research utilized the Cooler Storage Ring (CSRe) at the Ion Research Facility in Lanzhou (HIRFL). A cutting-edge Bρ-defined isochous mass spectroscopy method enabled first-time precise mass measurements of rare isotopes like silicon-23, phosphorus-26, sulfur-, and arg-31. also improved the mass precision of sulfur-28 by 11 timesThe refined mass data allowed scientists establish the proton dripline for several elements and analyze mirror energy differences quantity derived from atomic masses. Associate Prof. Yuanming, another co-first author, highlighted, "Mirror energy differences serve as a powerful tool to detect proton halo structures and study