The Nuclear Landscape: A Five-Variable 3D-Printed Representation of the Nuclides
- 1Department of Chemistry, University of Victoria, PO Box 1700 STN CSC, Victoria, BC, Canada, V8W 2Y2
- 2Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Victoria, PO Box 1700 STN CSC, Victoria, BC, Canada, V8W 2Y2
Abstract
Traditional charts of the nuclides convey proton number, neutron number, and one other property (e.g. half-life or decay mode). We describe the design and fabrication of a modular three-dimensional model of the nuclides that encodes five nuclear properties. Proton number and neutron number determine planar position, half-life is represented by column height using a quantile-logarithmic transformation, decay mode is represented by colour, and year of discovery is represented by the area of the top of the column. The model provides a tactile and visual representation of >3400 nuclides with the stable nuclides forming the spine of the model. The digital models were made by an iterative human-artificial intelligence (AI) co-design workflow in which generative AI helped translate educational objectives and geometric constraints into 3D printable stereolithography (STL) files. Feedback from visitors to the completed piece was uniformly positive when describing their interaction and learning experience. Complete datasets, STL files, and representative design prompts are provided to facilitate reproduction and adaptation for educational use.
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BibTeX
@misc{schales2026nuclear,
title = {{The Nuclear Landscape: A Five-Variable 3D-Printed Representation of the Nuclides}},
author = {Helena Schales and Jack Smart and Peter Oshkai and J. Scott McIndoe},
howpublished = {ChemRxiv},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.26434/chemrxiv.15010936/v1},
url = {https://chemrxiv.org/doi/full/10.26434/chemrxiv.15010936/v1},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - The Nuclear Landscape: A Five-Variable 3D-Printed Representation of the Nuclides
AU - Helena Schales
AU - Jack Smart
AU - Peter Oshkai
AU - J. Scott McIndoe
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/23
PB - ChemRxiv
DO - 10.26434/chemrxiv.15010936/v1
UR - https://chemrxiv.org/doi/full/10.26434/chemrxiv.15010936/v1
AB - Traditional charts of the nuclides convey proton number, neutron number, and one other property (e.g. half-life or decay mode). We describe the design and fabrication of a modular three-dimensional model of the nuclides that encodes five nuclear properties. Proton number and neutron number determine planar position, half-life is represented by column height using a quantile-logarithmic transformation, decay mode is represented by colour, and year of discovery is represented by the area of the top of the column. The model provides a tactile and visual representation of >3400 nuclides with the stable nuclides forming the spine of the model. The digital models were made by an iterative human-artificial intelligence (AI) co-design workflow in which generative AI helped translate educational objectives and geometric constraints into 3D printable stereolithography (STL) files. Feedback from visitors to the completed piece was uniformly positive when describing their interaction and learning experience. Complete datasets, STL files, and representative design prompts are provided to facilitate reproduction and adaptation for educational use.
ER -