By crafting massive versions of sodium, neon, and other elements, physicists are testing what's possible—and impossible—in nature.

The maximum number of neutrons that can be packed into fluorine and neon isotopes have been determined by nuclear physicists working on an experiment in Japan. These are the first new measurements of the neutron dripline in 20 years and could provide physicists with important information about how to model the atomic nucleus.

Researchers have identified the largest possible isotopes of fluorine and neon, extending the neutron “dripline” for the first time in 20 years.

FRIB Chief Scientist Witek Nazarewicz is featured in a “Speaking of Chemistry” video that explores how scientists are working with elements at the end of the periodic table to perform superheavy chemistry.

Researchers have observed a rare nuclear decay. Namely, the team measured low-kinetic-energy protons emitted after the beta decay of a neutron-rich nucleus beryllium-11.