China's science facility achieves rare isotope observation

The facility, located in Huizhou in South China's Guangdong province, is designed to provide exactly that. The facility began trial operations on July 21, accelerating heavy ions to extreme speeds to create the conditions needed for frontier nuclear physics research.

In the experiment, the team smashed a high-speed beam of bismuth atoms into a target, producing a cascade of nuclear fragments. Among the debris, they isolated and identified 10 hafnium-153 ions.

The Radioactive Isotope Beam Factory in Japan also reported the observation of hafnium-153 around the same time, providing mutual confirmation that strengthened the findings.

This new achievement not only marks an important advance in probing the limits of nuclear existence, but also opens the door to broader scientific exploration at HIAF, the researchers said.

With further improvements in beam intensity and experimental efficiency, the facility is expected to play an increasingly important role in the discovery of new isotopes and the investigation of nuclear properties under extreme conditions, they added.