Researchers from Kyushu University, Japan have revealed how a special type of force within an atom’s nucleus, known as the three-nucleon force, impacts nuclear stability. The study, published in Physics Letters B, provides insight into why certain nuclei are more stable than others and may help explain astrophysical processes, such as the formation of heavy elements within stars.

All matter is made of atoms, the building blocks of the universe. Most of an atom’s mass is packed into its tiny nucleus, which contains protons and neutrons (known collectively as nucleons). Understanding how these nucleons interact to keep the nucleus stable and in a low energy state has been a central question in nuclear physics for over a century.

The most powerful nuclear force is the two–nucleon force, which attracts two nucleons at long range to pull them together and repels at short range to stop the nucleons from getting too close.