Hidden magnetism inside atoms may explain mysterious gamma rays
Researchers have identified that magnetic transitions within atomic nuclei are responsible for the 'low-energy enhancement' of gamma rays, a long-standing puzzle in nuclear physics. The study used specialized instruments to analyze radioactive copper isotopes, providing a consistent explanation that aligns experimental data with theory.
Why it matters
Solving this mystery improves our fundamental understanding of nuclear structure, which has broad implications for astrophysics, nuclear energy, and national security.
A decades-old puzzle in nuclear physics has centered on a strange question: why do some atomic nuclei release more low-energy gamma rays than scientists expect?
A new study led by the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB), with researchers from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), may provide the answer. Published in Nature , the findings offer new insight into the structure of atomic nuclei and could have important implications for astrophysics, nuclear energy, national security, and nuclear forensics.
Gamma rays are a form of electromagnetic radiation, just like visible light and radio waves. They are released when excited atomic nuclei lose energy and move into lower, more stable states during radioactive decay.
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