English (United Kingdom)

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/featured_content/oa?rat=en

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/highlighted_journal/

Global: Zendy Tools annual

Presents the keyphrase highlighting as premium feature

Keyphrase Highlighting

Presents the summarisation as premium feature

Summarisation

Insights

Presents the pdf analysis as premium feature

PDF Analysis

Presents the zaia usage as premium feature

ZAIA

Global: Zendy Tools monthly

Global: Zendy Plus monthly

Presents the access of premium content as premium feature

Premium Content

Global: Zendy Plus annual

Global: Zendy Free Plan

Understanding the evolution of the nuclear charge radius is one of the long-standing challenges for nuclear theory. Recently, density functional theory calculations utilizing Fayans functionals have successfully reproduced the charge radii of a variety of exotic isotopes. However, difficulties in the isotope production have hindered testing these models in the immediate region of the nuclear chart below the heaviest self-conjugate doubly-magic nucleus  100 Sn, where the near-equal number of protons ( Z ) and neutrons ( N ) lead to enhanced neutron-proton pairing. Here, we present an optical excursion into this region by crossing the  N  = 50 magic neutron number in the silver isotopic chain with the measurement of the charge radius of  96 Ag ( N  = 49). The results provide a challenge for nuclear theory: calculations are unable to reproduce the pronounced discontinuity in the charge radii as one moves below  N  = 50. The technical advancements in this work open the  N  =  Z  region below  100 Sn for further optical studies, which will lead to more comprehensive input for nuclear theory development.

Evidence of a sudden increase in the nuclear size of proton-rich silver-96