By directing pulses of laser light at atoms, researchers can study how radioactive elements decay in a matter of seconds. The method is described in a new thesis from the University of Gothenburg, which shows that the atomic nuclei of the elements neptunium and fermium are shaped like rugby balls.

Actinides are a group of elements at the bottom of the periodic table. They have a high density, are radioactive, and several of them only exist for a few seconds before they decay. Only four of the 14 elements in this group occur naturally on Earth. The others can be produced in an accelerator, but only in very small quantities. Uranium is the best-known actinide, but a new thesis from the University of Gothenburg focuses on neptunium and fermium.