  Atomic nuclei have a shell structure where nuclei with 'magic numbers' of
neutrons and protons are analogous to the noble gases in atomic physics. Only
ten nuclei with the standard magic numbers of both neutrons and protons have so
far been observed. The nuclear shell model is founded on the precept that
neutrons and protons can move as independent particles in orbitals with
discrete quantum numbers, subject to a mean field generated by all the other
nucleons. Knowledge of the properties of single-particle states outside nuclear
shell closures in exotic nuclei is important for a fundamental understanding of
nuclear structure and nucleosynthesis (for example the r-process, which is
responsible for the production of about half of the heavy elements). However,
as a result of their short lifetimes, there is a paucity of knowledge about the
nature of single-particle states outside exotic doubly magic nuclei. Here we
measure the single-particle character of the levels in 133Sn that lie outside
the double shell closure present at the short-lived nucleus 132Sn. We use an
inverse kinematics technique that involves the transfer of a single nucleon to
the nucleus. The purity of the measured single-particle states clearly
illustrates the magic nature of 132Sn.

Nuclear Experiment