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Unusual nitrogen-9 nucleus
December 28 , 2023
333 days
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- Scientists have just caught their first glimpse of an ultra-rare version of nitrogen containing five more protons than it can stably hold.
- Scientists discovered hints of the new isotope, called nitrogen-9.
- Atoms of the nitrogen-9 isotope are characterised by seven protons and two neutrons – which is an unusually high proton-to-neutron ratio.
- Generally, nitrogen comes as the isotope nitrogen-14, with seven protons and seven neutrons.
- This disparity has a critical effect on the isotope’s stability, influencing its decay processes as well as overall behaviour.
- For one, the high proton content places nitrogen-9 atoms beyond the conventional stability thresholds.
- There are 118 elements. Each element is unique by virtue of the different numbers of electrons, protons, and neutrons its atoms contain.
- Isotopes are atoms of a given element that vary only in the number of neutrons.
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