Coulomb forces are much weaker at the ends of highly elliptical nuclei. We've always assumed atomic nuclei are spherical. They are not. Iron nuclei have ends wh

Coulomb forces are much weaker at the ends of highly elliptical nuclei. We've always assumed atomic nuclei are spherical. They are not. Iron nuclei have ends where the Coulomb forces are two orders of magnitude lesser than assuming a spherical shape would predict.