Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Nuclear Binding Energy02:13

Nuclear Binding Energy

15.1K
The difference between the calculated and experimentally measured masses is known as the mass defect of the atom. In the case of helium-4, the mass defect indicates a “loss” in mass of 4.0331 amu – 4.0026 amu = 0.0305 amu. The loss in mass accompanying the formation of an atom from protons, neutrons, and electrons is due to the conversion of that mass into energy that is evolved as the atom forms. The nuclear binding energy is the energy produced when the atoms’ nucleons are bound...
15.1K
Atomic Nuclei: Nuclear Spin State Population Distribution01:14

Atomic Nuclei: Nuclear Spin State Population Distribution

2.5K
Near absolute zero temperatures, in the presence of a magnetic field, the majority of nuclei prefer the lower energy spin-up state to the higher energy spin-down state. As temperatures increase, the energy from thermal collisions distributes the spins more equally between the two states. The Boltzmann distribution equation gives the ratio of the number of spins predicted in the spin −½ (N−) and spin +½ (N+) states.
2.5K
Atomic Nuclei: Nuclear Relaxation Processes01:23

Atomic Nuclei: Nuclear Relaxation Processes

1.3K
In the absence of an external magnetic field, nuclear spin states are degenerate and randomly oriented. When a magnetic field is applied, the spins begin to precess and orient themselves along (lower energy) or against (higher energy) the direction of the field. At equilibrium, a slight excess population of spins exists in the lower energy state. Because the direction of the magnetic field is fixed as the z-axis,  the precessing magnetic moments are randomly oriented around the z-axis.
1.3K
Atomic Nuclei: Nuclear Spin State Overview01:03

Atomic Nuclei: Nuclear Spin State Overview

2.2K
NMR-active nuclei have energy levels called 'spin states' that are associated with the orientations of their nuclear magnetic moments. In the absence of a magnetic field, the nuclear magnetic moments are randomly oriented, and the spin states are degenerate. When an external magnetic field is applied, the spin states have only 2 + 1 orientations available to them. A proton with = ½ has two available orientations. Similarly, for a quadrupolar nucleus with a nuclear spin value of one, the...
2.2K
States of Matter and Phase Changes00:59

States of Matter and Phase Changes

5.1K
The internal energy of a substance—the total kinetic energy of all its molecules and the potential energy of their associated forces—depends on the strength of the intermolecular forces in the condensed phases and the pressure exerted on the substance. The internal energy of a substance is the highest in the gaseous state, the lowest in the solid state, and intermediate in the liquid state. Phase transitions are caused by changes in physical conditions, such as temperature and...
5.1K
Phase Transitions02:31

Phase Transitions

23.6K
Whether solid, liquid, or gas, a substance's state depends on the order and arrangement of its particles (atoms, molecules, or ions). Particles in the solid pack closely together, generally in a pattern. The particles vibrate about their fixed positions but do not move or squeeze past their neighbors. In liquids, although the particles are closely spaced, they are randomly arranged. The position of the particles are not fixed—that is, they are free to move past their neighbors to...
23.6K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Can the Strong Interactions between Hadrons Be Determined Using Femtoscopy?

Physical review letters·2026
Same author

Tumour-Derived Extracellular Vesicles Reprogramme Tumour-Associated Macrophages Into Immunosuppressive Phenotype via NOD1 Signalling in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma.

Journal of extracellular vesicles·2026
Same author

CDK4/6 inhibition sensitizes breast cancer to NK cell therapy by inducing immune-interactive surface proteins.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

Multimodal immunopharmacologic screens identify drugs rewiring the cancer-immune interface.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

Safety and clinical outcomes of a first-in-human trial of point-of-care manufactured trispecific CAR T cells targeting CD19, CD20, and CD22.

Research square·2026
Same author

Sign-Problem-Free Nuclear Quantum Monte Carlo Simulation.

Physical review letters·2025
Same journal

Erratum: Bacterial Turbulence at Compressible Fluid Interfaces [Phys. Rev. Lett. 136, 138301 (2026)].

Physical review letters·2026
Same journal

Unveiling Light-Quark Yukawa Flavor Structure via Dihadron Fragmentation at Lepton Colliders.

Physical review letters·2026
Same journal

Adaptable Route to Fast Coherent State Transport via Bang-Bang-Bang Protocols.

Physical review letters·2026
Same journal

Topological Transition and Emergence of Elasticity of Dislocation in Skyrmion Lattice: Beyond Kittel's Magnetic-Polar Analogy.

Physical review letters·2026
Same journal

Pound-Drever-Hall Method for Superconducting-Qubit Readout.

Physical review letters·2026
Same journal

Coupling a ^{73}Ge Nuclear Spin to an Electrostatically Defined Quantum Dot in Silicon.

Physical review letters·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 14, 2026

Methods of Ex Situ and In Situ Investigations of Structural Transformations: The Case of Crystallization of Metallic Glasses
08:55

Methods of Ex Situ and In Situ Investigations of Structural Transformations: The Case of Crystallization of Metallic Glasses

Published on: June 7, 2018

9.0K

Nuclear Binding Near a Quantum Phase Transition.

Serdar Elhatisari1, Ning Li2, Alexander Rokash3

  • 1Helmholtz-Institut für Strahlen- und Kernphysik and Bethe Center for Theoretical Physics, Universität Bonn, D-53115 Bonn, Germany.

Physical Review Letters
|October 8, 2016
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Nature is near a quantum phase transition where protons and neutrons bind. Simulations reveal a transition from an alpha-particle gas to a nuclear liquid, depending on nuclear forces.

More Related Videos

Preparing an Isotopically Pure 229Th Ion Beam for Studies of 229mTh
10:42

Preparing an Isotopically Pure 229Th Ion Beam for Studies of 229mTh

Published on: May 3, 2019

7.4K
Laser-heating and Radiance Spectrometry for the Study of Nuclear Materials in Conditions Simulating a Nuclear Power Plant Accident
09:18

Laser-heating and Radiance Spectrometry for the Study of Nuclear Materials in Conditions Simulating a Nuclear Power Plant Accident

Published on: December 14, 2017

11.1K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 14, 2026

Methods of Ex Situ and In Situ Investigations of Structural Transformations: The Case of Crystallization of Metallic Glasses
08:55

Methods of Ex Situ and In Situ Investigations of Structural Transformations: The Case of Crystallization of Metallic Glasses

Published on: June 7, 2018

9.0K
Preparing an Isotopically Pure 229Th Ion Beam for Studies of 229mTh
10:42

Preparing an Isotopically Pure 229Th Ion Beam for Studies of 229mTh

Published on: May 3, 2019

7.4K
Laser-heating and Radiance Spectrometry for the Study of Nuclear Materials in Conditions Simulating a Nuclear Power Plant Accident
09:18

Laser-heating and Radiance Spectrometry for the Study of Nuclear Materials in Conditions Simulating a Nuclear Power Plant Accident

Published on: December 14, 2017

11.1K

Area of Science:

  • Nuclear physics
  • Quantum mechanics
  • Computational physics

Background:

  • The fundamental question in nuclear structure theory concerns how protons and neutrons bind to form atomic nuclei.
  • Nuclear forces, while attractive, present a complex interaction landscape.
  • Ab initio nuclear structure theory aims to describe nuclei from fundamental nucleon interactions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the binding of nucleons and the emergent properties of nuclei from first principles.
  • To explore the existence and nature of quantum phase transitions in nuclear systems.
  • To understand the relationship between nucleon-nucleon interactions and the formation of nuclear matter.

Main Methods:

  • Utilizing ab initio lattice simulations and lattice effective field theory.
  • Performing Monte Carlo simulations for systems containing up to twenty nucleons.
  • Analyzing the behavior of systems with even and equal numbers of protons and neutrons.

Main Results:

  • Numerical evidence indicates that nuclear systems are close to a quantum phase transition at zero temperature.
  • A first-order phase transition was discovered from a Bose-condensed gas of alpha particles (4He nuclei) to a nuclear liquid.
  • The transition is driven by quantum fluctuations and depends on the strength of alpha-alpha interactions, which are linked to nucleon-nucleon interactions.

Conclusions:

  • The formation of nuclear states, like alpha-particle condensates or nuclear liquids, is sensitive to the underlying nucleon-nucleon interactions.
  • Findings provide insights for improving nuclear structure calculations and modeling astrophysical reactions, such as alpha capture.
  • The study connects nuclear cluster states, like the Hoyle state, to universal boson physics at large scattering lengths.