Scientists may have detected exotic nitrogen-9 isotope

An exotic nitrogen isotope featuring seven protons and just two neutrons may have been created by a research team from China and the US. The nitrogen-9 nucleus would be the first known example that decays by releasing five protons.

Researchers are interested in nuclei with large imbalances in the number of protons and neutrons that they contain. These proton- or neutron-rich nuclei tend to have exotic physical properties and offer scientists a way to study extreme examples of nuclear structure.