nucleon

Also known as proton or neutron, neutron or proton, nucleons

thumb|An atomic nucleus is shown here as a compact bundle of the two types of nucleons, [[protons (red) and neutrons (blue). In this picture, the protons and neutrons are shown as distinct, which is the conventional view in chemistry, for example. But in an actual nucleus, as understood by modern nuclear physics, the nucleons are partially delocalized and organize themselves according to the laws of quantum chromodynamics.]] In physics and chemistry, a nucleon is either a proton or a neutron, considered in its role as a component of an atomic nucleus. The number of nucleons in a nucleus define

AI overview

A nucleon is either a proton or a neutron, the two types of particles that make up an atomic nucleus. The number of nucleons in a nucleus is a fundamental property that helps determine what element an atom is and how it behaves.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Research

47,615 papers

Nucleon-nucleon correlations inside atomic nuclei: synergies, observations and theoretical models.ReviewReports on progress in physics. Physical Society (Great Britain) · 2024Dalal R, Douglas MacGregor IJDOI: 10.1088/1361-6633/ad27dd
The spin structure of the nucleon.Reports on progress in physics. Physical Society (Great Britain) · 2019Deur A, Brodsky SJ, de Téramond GFDOI: 10.1088/1361-6633/ab0b8f
A heterotrimeric protein complex assembles the metazoan V-ATPase upon dissipation of proton gradients.Nature structural & molecular biology · 2025Nardone C, Mintseris J, He D et al.DOI: 10.1038/s41594-025-01610-9
Liver MRI-derived Proton Density Fat Fraction Predicts Diabetes Risk in Patients with Obesity: A Dose-Response Study.Radiology · 2025Deng M, Li Z, Sun L et al.DOI: 10.1148/radiol.250026
Lysosomal TMEM165 controls cellular ion homeostasis and survival by mediating lysosomal Ca(2+) import and H(+) efflux.Nature communications · 2025Chen R, Liu B, Jaślan D et al.DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-60349-5
TMEM175 does not function as a proton-selective ion channel to prevent lysosomal over-acidification.The Journal of cell biology · 2026Riederer E, Mikusevic V, Tang T et al.DOI: 10.1083/jcb.202501145
Mitochondria acidify lysosomes through membrane contacts.Cell reports · 2026Tian Z, Chen R, Fang G et al.DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2026.117112
Medium modified nucleon-nucleon cross sections in a nucleus.Nuclear instruments & methods in physics research. Section B, Beam interactions with materials and atoms · 1999Tripathi RK, Cucinotta FA, Wilson JW et al.DOI: 10.1016/s0168-583x(99)00181-0

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Wikidata facts

Image: Nucleus drawing.svg

Show 2 more facts

half-life: 8400000000000000234584843055267840
spin quantum number: 0.5

Sources (4)

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~18 min read

Article

16 sections

Contents

Overview
Properties
Stability
Antinucleons
Tables of detailed properties
Nucleons
Nucleon resonances
Quark model classification
Skyrmion models
MIT bag model
Chiral bag model
See also
Footnotes
References
Particle listings
Further reading

Until the 1960s, nucleons were thought to be elementary particles, not made up of smaller parts. Now they are understood as composite particles, made of three quarks bound together by the strong interaction. The interaction between two or more nucleons is called internucleon interaction or nuclear force, which is also ultimately caused by the strong interaction. (Before the discovery of quarks, the term "strong interaction" referred to just internucleon interactions.)