Search

Scientists Discover Heaviest Proton-Emitting Nucleus After Nearly 30 Years

Physicists detect 188At, the heaviest known proton emitter, changing our understanding of nuclear decay.

Advertisement
Highlights
  • Astatine-188 is the heaviest nucleus yet observed with proton emission
  • 188At discovered at Jyväskylä University using advanced detector tech
  • Proton emission from 188At reveals limits of nuclear stability and deca
Scientists Discover Heaviest Proton-Emitting Nucleus After Nearly 30 Years

New isotope 188At reveals rare proton emission and reshapes nuclear decay models

Photo Credit: Nature Communications (2025)

Nuclear physicists have detected the radioactive disintegration of a rare isotope of astatine for the first time. This shows that the heaviest element found in nature may be modified a lot, maybe even destroyed, in a way that scientists didn't predict. That oddball radioactive decay with 85 protons and 103 neutrons is almost (but not quite) a nuclear species that we would call stable. The finding was made by researchers at the University of Jyväskylä in Finland, and it's a major development for nuclear physics. It describes something that just shouldn't be and then shows us what the forces are that make for heavy atomic structures.

Rare Proton Decay in 188At Sheds Light on Extreme Nuclear Shapes and Stability Limits

As per a report published in Nature Communications on May 29, 2025, the isotope was produced using a fusion-evaporation reaction that entailed the irradiation of a natural silver target with strontium-84 ions. The exotic nucleus, 188 At, has a pronouncedly prolate form (of a "watermelon" type) generated by the neutron and proton normal and attractive interaction in the inner shells of heavy nuclei experienced as a projectile in our case study.

Henna Kokkonen, the doctoral researcher who made the discovery, has mentioned that the proton emitted allows an unstable nucleus to progress towards stability by getting rid of a proton. The 190 At isotope was found by Kokkonen with the investigation of rare decay in the heavy nucleus, the rare interaction in the binding energy of the proton, and presumably a tendency change in the heavy atom region.

The team of the theory and experiment workshop pointed out the importance of exploring new decay modes and testing predictive models at the extremes of the periodic table. They also talked about how technology has improved in making and studying isotopes with short lifetimes.

Isotope discoveries of this scale remain rare in modern nuclear physics. Kokkonen expressed pride in contributing to a global effort that deepens our understanding of atomic structure. Each such finding helps refine our knowledge of nuclear forces, elemental formation, and the fundamental limits of matter. The breakthrough underscores how even after a century of nuclear science, the field continues to yield surprises from the smallest building blocks of the universe.

 

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.

 
Show Full Article
Please wait...
Advertisement
Popular Mobile Brands
  1. Narivetta OTT Release Date: When and Where to Watch This Political Drama Online?
  1. Astronomers Discover 3I/ATLAS, Largest Interstellar Comet Yet Detected
  2. NASA's New Horizons Proves Deep-Space Navigation via Stellar Parallax
  3. AI Designs Ocean Gliders Inspired by Sea Creatures to Boost Underwater Research Efficiency
  4. Narivetta OTT Release Date: When and Where to Watch Tovino Thomas Starrer Political Drama Online?
  5. Kaalidhar Laapata Now Available on Zee5: What You Need to Know About Abhishek Bachchan's Starrer Movie
  6. Sri Sri Sri RajaVaru Now Streaming on Amazon Prime Video: Everything You Need to Know
  7. Hubble Observations Give Forgotten Globular Cluster Its Moment to Shine
  8. Very Massive Stars Blow Away Outer Layers in Powerful Winds Before Black Hole Collapse
  9. Astronomers Capture First-Ever Image of a Dead Star That Exploded Twice in Rare Supernova Event
  10. Climate Satellite MethaneSAT Fails After Just One Year in Orbit
Gadgets 360 is available in
Download Our Apps
App Store App Store
Available in Hindi
App Store
© Copyright Red Pixels Ventures Limited 2025. All rights reserved.
Trending Products »
Latest Tech News »