The Chart of Nuclides

The chart of nuclides is a 2-dimensional graph that shows the diversity and behaviour of universe’s isotopes. It’s similiar to the Periodic Table of Elements, which lists the stable version of the elements that we see around us in nature, except that the chart of nuclides shows all known isotopes, including very short- and very long-lived isotopes.

Some nuclides, especially those at the edges of stability, only exist for mere microseconds, flitting in and out of existence as they come together and then decay. That’s what you’re seeing in this chart – watch as the isotopes decay from blue to white! 

Note: we’ve tweaked the decay timing to be easier to see, but the relative decay time is the same as we see in nature!

Many of these short-lived isotopes are very useful for investigating the very forces that hold matter together, including the strong and weak forces, and how these forces give rise to matter. That’s where TRIUMF research comes in. We study isotopes to help us understand how the Universe behaved in the immediate moments after the Big Bang, how stars grow and burn and die– and maybe, with enough research, how exactly we all got here in the first place.