Researchers have been able to initiate a controlled movement in the very heart of an atom. They caused the atomic nucleus to interact with one of the electrons in the outermost shells of the atom.

The pulse of an atom's magnetic heart as it ticks back and forth between quantum states has been timed in a laboratory. Physicists used a scanning tunneling microscope to observe electrons as they ...

The isotope lead-208 was predicted to be extremely stable and perfectly spherical because of the “magic” numbers of electrons and protons orbiting its nucleus. When researchers blasted lead-208 with ...

A research collaboration has examined how the nucleus of nickel-64 reacts when exposed to energy. A new paper sheds light on the nature of atomic nuclei. Everything in the universe, from the largest ...

(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.) Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like ...

Nuclear forces can be compared to a game of catch. With the two-nucleon force, two players, or nucleons, interact by throwing a ball to each other. The ball, a subatomic particle called a meson, can ...

Quantum mechanics explains why the electrons can keep spinning indefinitely. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. An atom is best ...

Scientists describe how forces in the atomic nucleus work to keep the atom stable. They then explain how researchers make new elements and discuss why large, man-made elements—those beyond atomic ...

Physicists in Finland have created a pumpkin-shaped atomic nucleus that throws off protons in a rare kind of radioactive decay. The nucleus, lutetium-149, has the shortest half-life of any of a group ...

Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to CuriousKidsUS@theconversation.com. “What is radium and why is it dangerous?” – ...