In nuclear physics, "magic numbers" identify specific numbers of protons or neutrons that lead to especially stable nuclei.

Even the most powerful telescopes have not yet been able to see far enough back in time to witness events from the Big Bang.

The word magic is not often used in the context of science. But in the early 1930s, scientists discovered that some atomic ...

Fast-moving protons are much more likely to pair up with fast-moving neutrons than with other protons in the nuclei of atoms, according to a recent experiment. The research confirms a previous ...

Protons and neutrons that have briefly paired up in the nucleus have higher-average momentum, leaving less for non-paired nucleons. Researchers have now shown for the first time that this ...

Protons, neutrons, and electrons. Which of these is in the center of the atom? Protons and neutrons are in the center (nucleus) of the atom. You may want to mention that hydrogen is the only atom that ...

The researchers looked for signs of proton and neutron pairs in atoms of carbon, aluminum, iron, and lead, each with a progressively higher ratio of neutrons to protons.

Protons in neutron-rich nuclei have a higher average energy than previously thought, according to a new analysis of electron scattering data that was first collected in 2004. The research appears to ...

It’s a case of acting differently when outmanned — or rather out-neutroned. Protons appear to get extra pep in their step when they’re outnumbered by neutrons in the atom’s nucleus. A new study ...

This article was updated June 28 at 4:54 p.m. ET. Scientists have long wondered whether there is a limit to the number of protons and neutrons that can be clustered together to form the nucleus of ...