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I'm currently taking a nuclear physics class, and of course, earlier courses taught me how electrons "moves" in orbits around the nucleus. In that case, it is their wave function that is spread out in s, p, d and so on, orbitals, and therefore can exist in those regions.

But now, after having this course a while, is it really just the same for the nucleus ? For electrons each electron can be in a different state, we know that, but is it the same with a nucleus ? Is the individual protons and neutrons in different states, just as electrons, or is it only the whole nucleus that are in some specific state. And the last thing: Is the orbitals for the nucleus, pretty much the same as for electrons, with s begins spherical, and p being the "flower" and so on.

I don't know why I'm so confused. But I've just always seen the nucleus as a rigid entity that does not behave like an electron would do. But I'm probably mistaken, or...?

Denver Dang
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  • See http://physics.stackexchange.com/questions/35724/what-is-an-intuitive-picture-of-the-motion-of-nucleons, http://physics.stackexchange.com/questions/55745/how-can-the-nucleus-of-an-atom-be-in-an-excited-state, http://physics.stackexchange.com/questions/36469/are-the-protons-and-neutrons-in-the-nucleus-arranged-in-any-particular-way, and probably a couple of other questions on the site. – dmckee --- ex-moderator kitten Mar 08 '15 at 18:19
  • Ahh, great... That pretty much sums it up. Thank you. – Denver Dang Mar 08 '15 at 18:43

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