Magnesium-18's unique decay process: From theory to practice

Led by physicist Si-Min Wang, the research team at Key Laboratory of Nuclear Physics and Ion-beam Application (MOE), Institute of Modern Physics, and Shanghai Research Center for Theoretical Nuclear Physics, NSFC, Fudan University, has documented that 18Mg undergoes a unique "multi-proton" decay mechanism, where it sequentially emits two-proton pairs. This process, differing from traditional radioactive decay, underscores a complex interaction of nuclear forces, diverging from long-held nuclear models.