In the conventional diagram of an atom, the center depicts a nucleus—a spherical cluster of protons and neutrons. But that sphere is a simplification: nuclei can deform into exotic shapes that appear more like a pear, football or Frisbee. Understanding why and when nuclei distort is crucial for predicting and modeling how they will behave.

Researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) have developed a new detector, CHICOX (Compact Heavy Ion Counter version X), that opens up a new era of extremely sensitive studies of nuclear shapes.

“Nuclear theorists are working toward a comprehensive, predictive model of nuclei and how they behave. The data we measure with CHICOX are a good test of these models,” said LLNL scientist Daniel Rhodes.