Researchers at the Institute of Modern Physics (IMP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, in collaboration with national and international partners, have successfully synthesized a new isotope, protactinium-210—the most neutron-deficient isotope of protactinium discovered so far. The breakthrough is detailed in a new paper published in Nature Communications.
Atomic nuclei, made up of protons and neutrons, are quantum many-body systems whose behavior under extreme conditions remains one of the central challenges in nuclear physics. The synthesis and study of new nuclides not only test the boundaries of nuclear stability but also provide insight into the fundamental properties of matter.
Although theoretical models predict the existence of approximately 7,000 nuclides, only about 3,300 have been produced and observed in laboratories to date.
"In the region of extremely neutron-deficient actinides, the cross-section for producing new isotopes is extraordinarily low, and their half-lives can be just milliseconds or even microseconds, making their detection and identification exceptionally difficult," explained Zhang Mingming, associate professor at IMP and first author of the study.
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The experiment was carried out at the China Accelerator Facility for Superheavy Elements (CAFE2), where a beam of calcium-40 ions was directed onto a lutetium-175 target. Through a fusion-evaporation reaction, the team successfully synthesized protactinium-210 and identified it using the advanced gas-filled recoil separator known as the Spectrometer for Heavy Atoms and Nuclear Structure-2 (SHANS2).
The team measured the alpha decay properties of the new isotope and expanded the known systematics of alpha decay in this nuclear region. Their results closely align with theoretical predictions for nuclei near or beyond the proton drip line.
"Despite the extremely low production cross-section—just 7 picobarns—we observed 23 decay events, demonstrating the impressive sensitivity of our detection system," said Ma Long, a professor at IMP. "This accomplishment confirms the capabilities of our facility for probing the heaviest and rarest nuclei, and it sets the stage for future efforts to synthesize new elements."
The study was conducted with support from researchers at the University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Advanced Energy Science and Technology Guangdong Laboratory, Shandong University, and other collaborating institutions.