Second LookNov 10, 2024

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-08097-2
from the latest issue of the Nature journal

This article presents a new method for imaging atomic nuclei shapes by analyzing their behavior during high-energy nuclear collisions.
The STAR Collaboration’s approach, known as collective-flow-assisted imaging, leverages the spatial matter distribution of colliding nuclei to study nuclear shapes in extreme conditions. + #science #nature

Imaging shapes of atomic nuclei in high-energy nuclear collisions - Nature

The collective-flow-assisted nuclear shape-imaging method images the nuclear global shape by colliding them at ultrarelativistic speeds and analysing the collective response of outgoing debris.

Nature
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+ Experiments focused on uranium-238 and gold-197 nuclei revealed insights into deformation characteristics and provided a comparative view with low-energy nuclear structure observations.

This research sheds light on the complex shapes of atomic nuclei, confirming a prolate deformation in uranium and offering detailed parameters on the shape dynamics in high-energy settings. +

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+ The complexity in the shapes of atomic nuclei, especially those like uranium-238, emerges from their many-body quantum nature and the forces binding them within extremely tiny spaces.
These nuclei exhibit shapes that go beyond simple spheres—they can appear elongated (prolate), flattened (oblate), or even triaxial, where they hold a form that deviates slightly from both. +
Nov 10, 2024 at 8:52amWeb
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+ Quantum fluctuations add a dynamic aspect, causing the shapes to shift subtly due to intrinsic rotations and other quantum effects, similar to an art piece that changes with each glance.

Under high-energy collisions, these shapes imprint themselves onto the resulting particle distributions, creating distinct, almost artistic patterns that reveal intricate symmetry and structure. +

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+ The resulting forms, influenced by forces at the subatomic level, resemble purposeful designs—like sculptures shaped by a hidden hand, reflecting both the elegant simplicity and complex asymmetry seen in nature’s own artistry.
#designwithoutdesigner