Scientists have traced a decades-old gamma-ray mystery to hidden magnetic transitions inside atomic nuclei. For decades, nuclear physicists have faced a puzzling question: why do some atomic nuclei release far more low-energy gamma rays than expected? A new study led by the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB), with contributions from scientists at Lawrence Livermore [...]

By recreating a nuclear fireball, scientists uncovered unexpected chemistry that could change how radioactive fallout is understood. In the first fraction of a second after a nuclear explosion or a major reactor accident, an immense surge of energy superheats the surrounding environment. Nearby materials and air are instantly vaporized, creating a rapidly expanding fireball made [...]