Neutronenreicher

"Neutronenreicher" is a German adjective meaning "neutron-rich," commonly used in nuclear physics to describe atomic nuclei or isotopes that contain significantly more neutrons than protons compared with stable isotopes of the same element. Neutron-rich nuclei lie on the neutron-rich side of the chart of nuclides and often exhibit features that differ from stable nuclei.

These isotopes can be produced in astrophysical environments—notably the rapid neutron-capture process (r-process) that occurs in supernovae and neutron-star mergers—and in laboratories using reactions such as projectile fragmentation, spallation, or isotope separation online (ISOL) techniques. Neutron-rich nuclei near the neutron drip line may be unstable against immediate neutron emission; those slightly less extreme typically undergo beta-minus decay, sometimes accompanied by delayed neutron emission, or spontaneous fission in heavy systems.

Neutron-rich systems are important for studying nuclear structure because they reveal changes in shell closures, the appearance of halo or skin phenomena, and modifications of nuclear forces under unusual neutron-to-proton ratios. They are central to understanding the origin of heavy elements in the universe and to refining models of nuclear interactions. Experimentally accessible neutron-rich isotopes also have applied roles, for example in medical isotope production and materials research. Research continues to map the neutron drip line and to explore how extreme neutron excess shapes nuclear behavior.