Alpha particles, as the nuclei of the helium atom are also called, play a decisive role in the formation of heavier elements. Carbon, for instance, is formed from the fusion of these alpha particles.

Nitrogen-9 decays by first emitting one proton, generating carbon-8, then two protons, generating beryllium-6, and finally two more protons, with the resulting residue of a stable alpha particle. This ...

A research team has achieved a significant breakthrough in determining fundamental properties of atomic nuclei. The team conducted laser spectroscopy experiments on muonic helium-3. Muonic helium-3 is ...

Muonic helium-3: Twice as slimmed-down Helium-3 is the lighter cousin of ordinary helium, helium-4. Its atomic nucleus has two protons and two neutrons (hence the 4 after the abbreviation for the ...

Alpha particle radioluminescence detection and imaging is an advanced optical technique that capitalises on the light emitted when alpha particles interact with air molecules. When alpha particles – ...

Physicists have measured a nuclear reaction that can occur in neutron star collisions, providing direct experimental data for a process that had previously only been theorised. The study provides new ...