For the first time, physicists have developed a model that explains the origins of unusually stable magic nuclei based ...

Atomic, molecular and optical (AMO) physics explores the quantum behaviour of electrons, atoms and light, and their mutual interactions across energy, length and time scales. In atoms and molecules, ...

Time is almost up on the way we track each second of the day, with optical atomic clocks set to redefine the way the world ...

The time is nigh for nuclear clocks. In a first, scientists have used a tabletop laser to bump an atomic nucleus into a higher energy state. It’s a feat that sets scientists on a path toward creating ...

The nucleus of an atom is now the modern version of sand flowing through an hourglass. Researchers have spent 15 years trying to increase accuracy in timekeeping. The ...

For the first time, the state of an atomic nucleus was switched with a laser. For decades, physicists have been looking for such a nuclear transition -- now it has been found. This opens up a new ...

PTB’s ion traps (top right) and the PENTATRAP Penning trap mass spectrometer at MPIK in Heidelberg (bottom left) were used to obtain a new insight into the differences between isotopes and new limits ...

Why do some elements decay in minutes, while others last billions of years? Certain "magic numbers" of nuclear particles may make all the difference. When you purchase through links on our site, we ...

This video features a nuclear engineer reacting to a condensed physics overview and evaluating the accuracy and clarity of the explanations. It breaks down major concepts and points out what is ...