What are Mirror Nuclei? Explain with Examples

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Detailed Solution

Mirror nuclei are pairs of atomic nuclei where the number of protons in one nucleus equals the number of neutrons in the other, and vice versa.

Definition

If one nucleus has Z protons and N neutrons, its mirror nucleus will have Z neutrons and N protons.

Examples

3He and 3H: Helium-3 has 2 protons and 1 neutron, while Tritium (Hydrogen-3) has 1 proton and 2 neutrons.
15O and 15N: Oxygen-15 has 8 protons and 7 neutrons, while Nitrogen-15 has 7 protons and 8 neutrons.

Importance

Mirror nuclei help physicists study the symmetry of nuclear forces.
They test whether nuclear interactions are independent of swapping protons and neutrons.

Thus, mirror nuclei illustrate how nuclear structure reflects proton-neutron interchange.

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