A new nuclear 'island' where magic numbers break down

Summary

Nuclear physicists have discovered that "Islands of Inversion," where conventional nuclear structure rules break down, may not be limited to neutron-rich isotopes, as previously thought. According to Phys.org, these regions lead to the disappearance of magic numbers and the transformation of nuclei into strongly deformed objects, with examples including beryllium-12, magnesium-32, and chromium-64.