A new feature discovered in radioactive lanthanum isotopes

Researchers at the Accelerator Laboratory of the University of Jyväskylä, Finland, precisely measured atomic masses of radioactive lanthanum isotopes and found an interesting feature in their nuclear binding energies. The discovery provides essential data for understanding how elements heavier than iron are produced in the cosmos and triggers new research to elucidate the underlying nuclear structure causing this unexpected change in nuclear binding energies.