Nuclear reaction Common light particles are often abbreviated in this shorthand, typically p for proton, n for neutron, d for deuteron, α representing an alpha particle or helium-4, β for beta particle or electron, γ for gamma photon, etc. The reaction above would be written as Li-6(d,α)α. In 1919, Ernest Rutherford was able to accomplish transmutation of nitrogen into oxygen at the University of Manchester, using alpha particles directed at nitrogen N + α → O + p. This was the first observation of an induced nuclear reaction, that is, a reaction in which particles from one decay are used to transform
Nuclear drip line 'dripped' out of the nucleus, hence giving rise to the term "drip line". Drip lines are defined for protons, neutrons, and alpha particles, and these all play important roles in nuclear physics. The nucleon drip lines are at the extreme of the proton-to-neutron ratio: at p:n ratios at or beyond the drip lines, no stable nuclei can exist. The location of the neutron drip line is not well known for most of the nuclear chart, whereas the proton and alpha drip lines have been measured for a wide range of elements. Nuclear stability is limited to those combinations of protons