atomic nucleus
Protons' dense home
The atomic nucleus is the dense central core of an atom, containing protons and neutrons bound together by the strong nuclear force.
Nearly all of an atom's mass concentrates here, though the nucleus occupies only a tiny fraction of the atom's volume.
Nuclear reactions—fission, fusion, radioactive decay—involve changes to the nucleus: The atomic nucleus of uranium can be split to release enormous energy.
Positive nuclear particle
- neutronUncharged nuclear particle
- nucleonProton or neutron
- quarkFundamental matter particle
- gluonStrong force mediator
strong force · hadron · baryon · meson · mass number · isomer · magic number · spin
Element ninety-two
- plutoniumActinide, atomic number 94
- chain reactionSelf-sustaining causal sequence
- critical massThreshold for self-sustaining reaction
- reactorControlled fission apparatus
neutron · splitting · fragments · energy release · fuel rod · control rod · moderator · coolant
Elemental variant by mass
- mass numberProtons and neutrons combined
- deuteriumHydrogen isotope with neutron
- tritiumHydrogen's radioactive isotope
- carbon-14Radioactive isotope for dating
uranium-235 · enrichment · abundance · isobar · primordial
Gradual organic breakdown
- half-lifePeriod for fifty-percent reduction
- radioactiveEmitting nuclear decay particles
- alpha particleIonizing emission from decay
- beta decayRadioactive nucleon transformation process
gamma ray · radiation · radioisotope · transmutation · activity · curie
Electrified matter state
- thermonuclearInvolving nuclear fusion heat
- tokamakPlasma confinement device
- deuteriumHydrogen isotope with neutron
- tritiumHydrogen's radioactive isotope
helium · ignition · confinement · sun · inertial confinement · breakeven
proton
Positive nuclear particle
gluon · strong force · hadron · baryon · meson · mass number · isomer · magic number · spin · parity
uranium
Element ninety-two
- plutoniumActinide, atomic number 94
- chain reactionSelf-sustaining causal sequence
- critical massThreshold for self-sustaining reaction
reactor · neutron · splitting · fragments · energy release · fuel rod · control rod · moderator · coolant · meltdown
isotope
Elemental variant by mass
- mass numberProtons and neutrons combined
- deuteriumHydrogen isotope with neutron
- tritiumHydrogen's radioactive isotope
carbon-14 · uranium-235 · enrichment · abundance · isobar · primordial
decay
Gradual organic breakdown
- half-lifePeriod for fifty-percent reduction
- radioactiveEmitting nuclear decay particles
- alpha particleIonizing emission from decay
beta decay · gamma ray · radiation · radioisotope · transmutation · activity · curie
plasma
Electrified matter state
- thermonuclearInvolving nuclear fusion heat
- tokamakPlasma confinement device
- deuteriumHydrogen isotope with neutron
tritium · helium · ignition · confinement · sun · inertial confinement · breakeven
- atomic physicsatoms, electron, neutron, proton, electrons
- Nucleinucleolus, nucleoplasm, nucleons
- nuclear physicsfission, neutron, proton, reactor, nucleon
- particleselectrons, electron, protons, proton, neutrons
- quantum statesground state, excited state, mixed state, qubit, singlet
- Nucleus partsnucleolus, chromatin, DNA, chromosomes, nucleoplasm
atomic nucleusuniverse
Complete system or domain
cosmos · macrocosm · galaxy · celestial body
atom, nuclear, atomic, nucleus, atomizer, atomize, subatomic, atomized, nucleate