Mirror nuclei

Nuclear physics

Nucleus * Nucleons (p, n) * Nuclear matter * Nuclear force * Nuclear structure * Nuclear reaction

Models of the nucleus

Liquid drop * Nuclear shell model * Interacting boson model * Ab initio

Nuclides' classification

Stable * Magic * Even/odd * Halo&nbsp;(Borromean)

Nuclear stability

Binding energy * p–n ratio * Drip line * Island of stability * Valley of stability * Stable nuclide

Radioactive decay

Alpha α * Beta β (2β, β+) * K/L capture * Isomeric (Gamma γ * Internal conversion) * Spontaneous fission * Cluster decay * Neutron emission * Proton emission

Nuclear fission

Spontaneous * Products (pair breaking) * Photofission

Capturing processes

electron (2×) * neutron (s * r) * proton (p * rp)

High-energy processes

Spallation (by cosmic ray) * Photodisintegration

Nucleosynthesis and
nuclear astrophysics

Nuclear fusion
Processes: Stellar * Big Bang * Supernova
Nuclides: Primordial * Cosmogenic * Artificial

High-energy nuclear physics

Quark–gluon plasma * RHIC * LHC

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In physics, mirror nuclei are a pair of isobars of two different elements where the number of protons of isobar one (Z1) equals the number of neutrons of isobar two (N2) and the number of protons of isotope two (Z2) equals the number of neutrons in isotope one (N1); in short: Z1 = N2 and Z2 = N1. This implies that the mass numbers of the isotopes are the same: N1 \+ Z1 = N2 \+ Z2.

Examples of mirror nuclei include:

Isobar 1  | Z1 | N1 | Isobar 2  | Z2 | N2

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3H | 1  | 2  | 3He | 2  | 1
14C | 6  | 8  | 14O | 8  | 6
15N | 7  | 8  | 15O | 8  | 7
24Na | 11  | 13  | 24Al | 13  | 11

Pairs of mirror nuclei have the same spin and parity. If we constrain to odd number of nucleons (A=Z+N) then we find mirror nuclei that differ from one another by exchanging a proton by a neutron. Interesting to observe is their binding energy which is mainly due to the strong interaction and also due to Coulomb interaction. Since the strong interaction is invariant to protons and neutrons one can expect these mirror nuclei to have very similar binding energies.[1][2]

In 2020 strontium-73 and bromine-73 were found to not behave as expected.[3]

## References

1. ↑ Cottle, P. D. (2002-04-12). "Excitations in the Mirror Nuclei 32Ar and 32Si". Physical Review Letters 88 (17): 172502. doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.88.172502. PMID 12005747. Bibcode: 2002PhRvL..88q2502C. http://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevLett.88.172502. Retrieved 2018-01-08.
2. ↑ Kamat, Sharmila (2002-04-23). "Focus: Gazing into a Nuclear Mirror" (in en-US). Physics (American Physical Society) 9. http://physics.aps.org/story/v9/st20. Retrieved 2016-04-11.
3. ↑ Discovery by UMass Lowell-led team challenges nuclear theory

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