Supercomputer calculates isotopes allowed by laws of physics

A team at Oak Ridge National Laboratory used the Departments of Energy's Jaguar supercomputer to calculate the number of isotopes allowed by the laws of physics. They applied density functional theory to six models of the nuclear interaction to determine that there are approximately 7,000 possible combinations of protons and neutrons allowed in bound nuclei. The computations allowed the team to identify the nuclear "drip lines" that mark the border of nuclear existence. The closer an isotope is to one of these drip lines, the faster it decays into more stable forms. These stable isotopes have half-lives longer than the expected lifetime of the solar system. This work has both existential value, helping to gain a better understanding of the evolution of the universe, and potential practical applications