Eli5: What is the “island of stability” in nuclear physics?
In: Physics
Our theoretical understanding of nuclear structure explains which isotopes are unstable and which are stable very accurately. However, that math suggests that there might be substantially heavier elements than we have observed which might be stable.
This might be a flaw in the theory, or it might be math that doesn’t match the real world, or it might point to unknown new elements. This last option is intriguing, as those elements might lead to novel material properties, if they exist or can be made.
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