Hydrogen-6: One of the furthest reaches of nuclear stability
Hydrogen-6, consisting of a single proton bound to five neutrons, represents one of the furthest reaches of nuclear stability.
“The extremely heavy hydrogen isotopes ⁶H – consisting of one proton and five neutrons – and ⁷H – with one more neutron – have the highest neutron-to-proton ratios known so far,” added the researchers.
Understanding such exotic isotopes is crucial for answering fundamental questions about how many neutrons can be held within an atomic nucleus.
“However, experimental data on these exotic nuclei are scarce, and the results remain controversial. In particular, there is a long-standing debate about whether the ground-state energy of ⁶H is low or high,” remarked the press release.