NP Highlights

An artist’s impression of the collision of two neutron stars. This collision causes gravitational waves, a gamma-ray burst, and a massive explosion. Scientists believe the explosions are the universe’s main source of heavier elements such as gold.
Data from the first observation of a neutron-star collision combined with input from modern nuclear theory narrow the range of neutron star radii.
When two nuclei of lead collide, the number of fast particles the collision produces depends on whether the nuclei graze each other, so-called peripheral collisions (colored data points), or have more head-on or central collisions (faint grey lines).
A new analysis provides a clearer picture of the universe by considering the yield of fast particles in grazing versus head-on nuclear collisions.