Magnetic Character of the Low-energy Enhancement in 70Zn

Authors

• E. K. Ronning, Facility for Rare Isotope Beams
• A. L. Richard, Facility for Rare Isotope Beams
• S. N. Liddick, Facility for Rare Isotope Beams
• A. Spyrou, Facility for Rare Isotope Beams
• R. Ringle, Facility for Rare Isotope Beams
• H. Arora, Central Michigan University
• H. C. Berg, Facility for Rare Isotope Beams
• J. M. Berkman, Facility for Rare Isotope Beams
• D. L. Bleuel, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
• K. Bosmpotinis, Facility for Rare Isotope Beams
• S. E. Campbell, Facility for Rare Isotope Beams
• X. Chen, Facility for Rare Isotope Beams
• B. P. Crider, Mississippi State University
• R. J. Coleman, University of Guelph
• P. A. DeYoung, Hope CollegeFollow
• A. A. Doetsch, Facility for Rare Isotope Beams
• H. Erington, Facility for Rare Isotope Beams
• T. Gaballah, Facility for Rare Isotope Beams
• N. D. Gamage, Facility for Rare Isotope Beams
• E. C. Good, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
• B. Greaves, University of Guelph
• A. C. Hartley, Facility for Rare Isotope Beams

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

7-23-2026

Publication Source

Nature

Volume Number

655

Issue Number

8124

First Page

875

Last Page

878

ISSN

00280836

E-ISSN

14764687

Abstract

The transition of an atomic nucleus from an excited state to a state of lower energy is typically accompanied by the emission of photons. The likelihood of photon emission is a function of the photon energy and of properties of the initial and final nuclear states and is known as the photon (or γ-ray) strength function (γSF)^1,2. Of the features present in the γSF, an enhancement in the low-energy region has been observed in some nuclei, but the electromagnetic nature of this enhancement remains an open question^3,4. This low-energy enhancement in the γSF significantly impacts our understanding of how elements are created in stars and the structure of the nucleus^5,6. Here we present the results from an experiment on the γSF of ⁷⁰Zn that show that the enhancement in the γSF of this nucleus is of magnetic nature. This observation helps address a long-open question about γSFs in atomic nuclei and directly impacts our predictive capabilities in nuclear science.

Recommended Citation

Published in: Nature, Volume 655, Issue 8124, July 23, 2026, pages 875-878.