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Precise measurement of deuteron mass raises hopes of solving the nuclear-mass puzzle

Contradictory values for the masses of atomic nuclei have cast doubt on the reliability of these widely used quantities. A new mass measurement of the deuteron, the second-simplest atomic nucleus, clarifies the situation.
  1. Jeroen C. J. Koelemeij

    1. Jeroen C. J. Koelemeij is in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam 1081, the Netherlands.

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Precise values for the masses of the nuclei of the simplest atoms, such as hydrogen and helium, are crucial for experiments targeting big unsolved problems in physics. A technique known as Penning-trap mass spectrometry has produced some of the most precise nuclear-mass values obtained so far, but the various results do not seem to be consistent with each other. Writing in Nature, Rau et al.1 report an astonishingly precise measurement of the mass of the deuteron — the nucleus of a hydrogen isotope called deuterium. Remarkably, this result also deviates widely from previous values. The authors therefore carried out a clever auxiliary measurement revealing that their findings back up those parts of the ‘nuclear-mass puzzle’ that initially seemed to be discrepant.

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Nature 585, 35-36 (2020)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-020-02474-3

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Competing Interests

The author is co-founder and shareholder of OPNT bv. (Additional information: OPNT bv is a private company (a term abbreviated in Dutch to 'bv'), which emerged from one of the author's research lines at VU University Amsterdam. The company provides time- and frequency-distribution solutions based on laser precision measurements in fiber-optic telecommunications networks. The author owns significant stock in the company.)

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