Unleashing the Power of Sodium: A Nuclear Physics Game-Changer

Nuclear physicists at RIKEN have created an extremely neutron-rich isotope of sodium, 39Na, which was previously believed to be impossible. This breakthrough has significant implications for our understanding of atomic nuclei structure and the astrophysical processes that form heavier elements on Earth. The discovery provides a vital reference point for tweaking models of neutron-rich nuclei and for assessing their accuracy, which could help refine calculations for nuclei with more neutrons. The location of the neutron drip line provides a key benchmark to not only nuclear theories but also nuclear mass models that play a key role in theories of nucleosynthesis.