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deformed nucleus
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decay of hafnium-180 Figure 15: Energy-level spectrum of the deformed nucleus erbium-164. schematic illustrations of single-humped and double-humped fission barriers
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deformed nucleus

physics
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decay of hafnium-180
decay of hafnium-180 Figure 3: The decay scheme of hafnium-180m (see text).

In physics, a deformed nucleus refers to a nucleus that is not perfectly spherical. Instead, it has a shape that is elongated, resembling a cigar or a football. This deformation occurs in nuclei that are far from the stable "doubly magic" regions.1

The collective model explains this phenomenon by suggesting that nucleons within the nucleus can interact in a way that collectively alters the nuclear shape. These cigar-shaped nuclei are commonly found in specific atomic mass ranges. The collective model has been successful in predicting and correlating the properties of these deformed nuclei, including their rotational excitations.1

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2 Britannica Sources
  1. radioactivity - The collective model
  2. nuclear fission - Nuclear models and nuclear fission

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