19/06/2026
Most people think an atom’s nucleus is round, but did you know it’s actually not? You can thank Aage Bohr for that information!
Born 104 years ago Bohr proved the inaccuracy of the spherical model of an atomic nucleus, directly challenging the popular model that had been developed partly by his father — quantum physics pioneer and Nobel Laureate, Niels Bohr.
Along with Ben R. Mottelson and James Rainwater, Bohr demonstrated that the atomic nucleus’ shape varied because of the distortions created by protons and neutrons on the outer rim of the nucleus moving around in different paths and interacting with the protons and neutrons inside of the nucleus. The previously developed model, known as the liquid-drop model, suggested that the shape was spherical because of how the nuclear force held the protons and neutrons together, similar to how molecules behave in a drop of liquid.
Their discovery earned them the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1975 and has been key to our current understanding of the central building blocks of atoms.
