Our breakthrough means that we have been able to carry out such calculations for the heaviest stable element - lead," says Andreas Ekström, Associate Professor at the Department of Physics at Chalmers and one of the main authors of the article. In addition to the observations made in laboratories and with telescopes, reliable theoretical simulations are therefore also needed. "To understand how the strong force works in neutron-rich matter, we need meaningful comparisons between theory and experiment. Therefore, the researchers have wrestled with many unanswered questions in their challenging calculations. The strong force is fundamental in the universe, but it is difficult to include in computational models, not least when it comes to heavy neutron-rich atomic nuclei such as lead. The same force also prevents a neutron star from collapsing.
The common denominator is the strong force that holds the particles - the protons and neutrons - together in an atomic nucleus.
In a recently published article in the scientific journal Nature Physics, Chalmers researchers present a breakthrough in the calculation of the atomic nucleus of the heavy and stable element lead.ĭespite the huge size difference between a microscopic atomic nucleus and a neutron star several kilometers in size, it is largely the same physics that governs their properties.
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