MIT physicists just found a way to see inside atoms

Science DailyCenterEN 5 min read 100% complete October 26, 2025 at 05:45 PM

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Physicists at MIT have developed a new method to study the interior of an atom's nucleus using electrons as messengers within a molecule. Published on October 23 in Science, the technique involves measuring the energy shifts of electrons orbiting a radium atom bound with fluoride, forming radium monofluoride. This approach allows for the detection of nuclear "messages" carried by electrons that briefly enter and interact with the nucleus, providing insights into its internal structure without the need for large-scale particle accelerators. The team aims to map the nuclear magnetic distribution in radium, which could help explain the imbalance between matter and antimatter in the universe. Collaborators from MIT and CERN contributed to this research.

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Thomas A. Franck Associate Professor of Physics at MIT 40% Science 50% Ronald Fernando Garcia Ruiz 70% MIT ×290%

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atom nucleus 100% electrons as messengers 90% radium monofluoride 80% table-top method 70% nuclear magnetic distribution 60% matter-antimatter imbalance 50% fundamental symmetries 40%

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atom nucleus electrons as messengers radium monofluoride table-top method nuclear magnetic distribution matter-antimatter imbalance fundamental symmetries

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