Ingenious New Method Measures the 3D Position of Individual Atoms
The method developed at the Universities of Bonn and Bristol uses an ingenious physical principle. For over ten years, physicists have been able to pinpoint…
Atoms News
Atoms are the fundamental building blocks of all matter in the universe, consisting of a nucleus surrounded by a cloud of electrons. The nucleus, composed of protons and neutrons, contains nearly all the atom’s mass, while the much lighter electrons determine the atom’s size and chemical properties. Protons carry a positive charge, electrons are negatively charged, and neutrons are electrically neutral. The arrangement and number of these subatomic particles define the chemical element of the atom—for example, hydrogen has one proton, while carbon has six. Atoms bond with each other to form molecules, which in turn make up all the materials and substances around us. The study of atoms and their interactions is central to chemistry and physics, providing the foundation for understanding complex biological processes, materials science, and the interactions of energy and matter.
Mimicking Nature: New Molecular Switches Transform Synthetic Chemistry
Molecules that are induced by light to rotate bulky groups around central bonds when exposed to light could lead to the creation of light-activated bioactive…
Atomic Alchemy – Scientists Have Made a Game-Changing Breakthrough in Drug Discovery Chemistry
Method to replace carbon with nitrogen atom has been ‘top of wish list’. For years, if you asked the people working to create new pharmaceutical…
Quantum Breakthrough: The First Ever Realization of a Laughlin State
The discovery of quantum Hall effects during the 1980s unveiled new forms of matter termed “Laughlin states,” named after the American Nobel laureate who successfully…
Researchers Discover Hidden Chemical Order in Disordered Compound
A novel technique for material analysis combines resonant X-ray diffraction and solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance. The researchers at Tokyo Tech have uncovered the previously unknown…
Scientists Discover Easy Way To Make Atomically-Thin Metal Layers
A cost-effective approach to producing MXene material could open up new possibilities for electronics and energy storage technology. The key to a perfect croissant lies…
Unlocking the Secrets of Water-Ion Interactions in Layered Materials
Studying the relationship between the arrangement of water molecules incorporated into layered materials like clays and the arrangement of ions within these materials has been…
Building a Computer With a Single Atom
New studies broaden the perspectives on what constitutes a “computer” and how small a computational unit can be. When we define a “computer” as any…
Physicists Solve Quasicrystal Formation Mystery
At high temperatures, the structure of two-dimensional titanium oxide breaks down and forms rings of four, seven, and ten atoms when barium is added, instead…
Nuclear Popcorn: New Research Sheds Light on the Enigmatic Strong Nuclear Force
The shape of heavy nuclei changes as the energy level varies. The universe is governed by four fundamental forces that dictate the interactions between particles…
Scientists Successfully Measure an Exotic Bond for the First Time
Atoms may be made to attract one another using light. Theoretically, this effect has been predicted for a very long time. However, the Vienna Center…
Physicists Discover Unexpected Mirror Nuclei Pairings
Physicists peer into mirror nuclei. The atomic nucleus is a busy place. Its protons and neutrons periodically collide and fly apart with high momentum before…
Expanding Cloud of Atoms Provides Insight Into Cosmological Questions
Researchers playing with a cloud of ultracold atoms uncovered behavior that bears a striking resemblance to the universe in microcosm. Their work, which forges new…
MIT Physicists Develop a Faster Way to Make Bose-Einstein Condensates
Using a new process of laser cooling, MIT physicists have invented a new technique to cool atoms into condensates faster than the conventional method while…
Physicists Image and Control the Motion of the Two Electrons in a Helium Atom
Using attosecond-timed laser flashes, a team of physicists has become the first to image and control the motion of the two electrons in a helium…
Scientists Use Partial Covariance Mapping to Probe Electron Dynamics
Using a technique called partial covariance mapping, scientists gain new insight into the dynamics of “hollow atom” formation. In a detailed study of how intense…
New Research Paper Solves the N-Representability Problem
A new paper from David Mazziotti, a professor in chemistry at the University of Chicago, solves what specialists call the “N-representability problem,” how to compute…
LCLS Finding Gives a Better Understanding of Light-Matter Interaction
While conducting experiments with the LCLS’s Atomic Molecular Optical instrument, a team of SLAC physicists found that the damage process in nanometer-sized clusters of atoms…