Frontiers of Physics: Nuclear Structures Revealed via Atomic Collisions

How fluctuations and deformations influence nuclear behavior.
Researchers have uncovered detailed information about nuclear structures using relativistic isobar collisions. This study explores the subtle differences in atomic behavior, contributing to a deeper understanding of nuclear science.

A Closer Look at Nuclear Collisions
The study focused on the collisions of isobars, specifically 9644Ru+9644Ru and 9640Zr+9640Zr. These experiments revealed insights into the size and shape differences of these nuclei. Key findings include:

Impact on Central Collisions: Initial fluctuations and nuclear deformations have minimal impact on mean multiplicity in the most central collisions.
Effects on Eccentricity: Both factors significantly affect second- and third-order eccentricity, indicating sensitivity to underlying nuclear structures.
Shedding Light on Nuclear Structure
Isobars, nuclei with the same number of nucleons but different proton and neutron counts, have been a subject of interest for physicists. The experiments conducted by the STAR Collaboration at √sNN = 200 GeV highlighted differences in multiplicity distribution, elliptic flow, and triangular flow, leading to this detailed investigation.