The shape of the xenon nucleus is no longer a mystery express
Atomic nuclei are not always like billiard balls. Some are elongated, like cigars, others are flattened. But xenon-129 resembles a potato — a bumpy triaxial ellipsoid. To determine such a shape, physicists used a method reminiscent of colliding two lumps of dough: accelerating nuclei to near-light speeds and smashing them, they reconstruct the original geometry from the scattering of fragments.
Using data from the Large Hadron Collider and clever mathematical methods to account for uncertainties, the team found that the xenon nucleus is stretched almost maximally in three directions at once. This unexpectedly matched quantum calculations, confirming the correctness of the Standard Model. The most amazing thing is that such a nucleus does not just rest, but constantly tumbles, rotating around several axes, like a confused spinning top. This rotation produces a bizarre radiation pattern that can now be captured in experiments.
Thus, the collider becomes a kind of spectroscope, allowing a glimpse into the heart of the atom. The increase in disorder (entropy) during collisions is inevitable, but it's the price for unique information. The idea goes back to Rutherford and his followers Fermi and Bethe.
Triaxial nuclei, like quantum spinning tops, tumble in space, rotating around several axes at once. This creates an intricate pattern of their radiation.