Magnetic character of the low-energy enhancement in <sup>70</sup>Zn.
basic_science · Level V
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- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 42457954.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41586-026-10758-3.
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Abstract
The transition of an atomic nucleus from an excited state to a state of lower energy is typically accompanied by the emission of photons. The likelihood of photon emission is a function of the photon energy and of properties of the initial and final nuclear states and is known as the photon (or γ-ray) strength function (γSF)<sup>1,2</sup>. Of the features present in the γSF, an enhancement in the low-energy region has been observed in some nuclei, but the electromagnetic nature of this enhancement remains an open question<sup>3,4</sup>. This low-energy enhancement in the γSF significantly impacts our understanding of how elements are created in stars and the structure of the nucleus<sup>5,6</sup>. Here we present the results from an experiment on the γSF of <sup>70</sup>Zn that show that the enhancement in the γSF of this nucleus is of magnetic nature. This observation helps address a long-open question about γSFs in atomic nuclei and directly impacts our predictive capabilities in nuclear science.