The precise rate at which a nucleus turns depends on the exact magnetic field at its position, which in turn depends on the relative positions and chemical identities of its neighbors. (sciencemag.org)
This step, known as liquid chromatography, isolates the exact compounds of interest, which are then sent to a mass spectrometer that confirms their chemical identity. (sciencemag.org)
Those nuclei beef up by gobbling neutrons in rapid succession and then quickly change their chemical identities through radioactive decay. (sciencemag.org)