Round 13: Tossup 8

Two answers required. Early-universe cosmology calculates that the ratio of these two quantities reaches a value of 5 to 6 during a “freeze-out” period. When these two quantities are both odd, systems lose a stability term proportional to either the negative one-half or negative three-quarters power. Whether these two quantities are even or odd determines the sign of a pairing term symbolized delta. These two quantities (10[1])are the axes of a chart whose boundaries are “drip lines” (-5[1])beyond which certain configurations (10[1])are too unstable. The sum of these (10[1])two quantities (10[1]-5[1])is raised to various (-5[1])powers in the volume, surface, Coulomb, (10[1])and asymmetry terms used to calculate binding energy (10[1])in the semi-empirical mass formula. (10[2]-5[1])Both of these quantities decrease by two during alpha decay. (10[5]-5[4])For 10 points, (-5[2])name these two quantities (-5[1])whose sum gives a nucleus’s mass. ■END■ (10[11])

ANSWER: number of protons AND number of neutrons [accept Z AND N; accept atomic number or nuclear charge in place of “number of protons”]
<Editors, Physics> | M. Playoffs 4 (Editors 4)
= Average correct buzzpoint

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