Core Insights - The research team from the Institute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, successfully measured the mass of the rare neutron-deficient nucleus silicon-22, discovering that the proton number 14 is a new magic number [1][2] Group 1: Research Findings - The team utilized an improved magnetic rigidity identification technique at the Lanzhou Heavy Ion Accelerator Cooling Storage Ring to measure the ground state mass of silicon-22, enhancing the precision of previous measurements of silicon-23 by nearly seven times [2] - The new mass data revealed the existence of the new proton magic number 14 in silicon-22, supported by advanced nuclear theoretical models [2] - The study found that while silicon-22 exhibits a double magic characteristic similar to oxygen-22, there is a slight symmetry breaking in its structure compared to oxygen-22 [2] Group 2: Historical Context - Magic numbers are specific numbers of protons or neutrons that confer stability to atomic nuclei, with known magic numbers including 2, 8, 20, 28, 50, 82, and 126 [1] - The concept of magic numbers was introduced in the 1940s and 1950s by physicists such as Mayer and Jensen, who received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1963 for their work on the shell model of atomic nuclei [1]