How did Werner Heisenberg contribute to early theories of the atomic nucleus?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Werner Karl Heisenberg sits at a desk in a suit with his hands folded, bookshelves in the background. — Werner Heisenberg Werner Heisenberg.

Following the discovery of the neutron in 1932, Werner Heisenberg made significant contributions to the early understanding of the atomic nucleus by developing a model of proton and neutron interaction.1

His work provided an early description of the force that binds these particles together, which was later identified as the strong force. By modeling how protons and neutrons interact within the nucleus, Heisenberg helped advance the scientific community's grasp of nuclear structure during a pivotal era of discovery in physics.1