Aage Bohr Created 2026-10-24 Updated 2026-11-05
Aage Bohr developed a description connecting individual nucleon motion with collective nuclear rotational bands and changes of nuclear shape. A deformed atomic nucleus has an intrinsic orientation, while its laboratory quantum states have definite total angular momentum. Quantizing the collective orientation produces sequences of excited levels, or nuclear rotational bands. Their energies and electric quadrupole transitions supply complementary tests of the connection between the intrinsic shape and the observed spectrum.[ref]