Electrons are defined as very small particles with a negative electrical charge that move around the nucleus of an atom. This atomic spot is responsible for several unique properties such as wave and particle properties.
The unpredictable nature of electrons still baffles scientists
According to a Scientific American publication, this particle spins so fast that scientists have found it difficult to observe, even with the use of the most modern computers. Not only that, they are the smallest component of the atom that can fit 2000 electrons into a single proton.
An important scientific theory states that the precise position and momentum of an electron cannot be determined simultaneously. According to The Guardian, Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle states that it is impossible to determine the exact position and direction of an electron at the same time. It’s so sophisticated they named Walter White after it. So far, the best way to observe electrons is to freeze them until they start repelling each other.
Also read: “World’s most powerful collider:” Large Hadron Collider will deliver 1.6 billion proton collisions per second!
The electron is without a doubt the atomic Bigfoot. Its highly erratic and unpredictable nature presented physicists with too many challenges and dilemmas when it came to suspending the particle, let alone manipulating it. This Asian team of scientists went as far as building an atomic Lego set to simulate the powerful particle, first reported by the South China Morning Post.
To get a closer look at the melting of frozen electrons, a group of physicists from China, Hong Kong and Japan developed a device that could peer into the subatomic spectacle. Although quantum mechanics is based on well-defined units and strict rules, the complexity of the subject requires extensive research.
An atomic Lego set?
A device that uses specially structured carbon atoms to observe electrons has reportedly been developed by physicists from mainland China, Hong Kong and Japan, according to the South China Morning Post report. They discovered a new intermediate phase when the electrons transitioned from a crystalline state to a liquid state.
Since the study of the electron requires the use of the best supercomputers due to its exponentially growing possibilities, the above team of physicists intends to use an atomic Lego set composed of a strong fullerene of bonded carbon atoms to show the strength of pure carbon at the Testing of electrons to use.
This concept derives from a Nobel Prize-winning scientific breakthrough in 2010, using carbon in such a flat shape and with extraordinary properties that come from the interesting world of quantum physics. This study rationalizes graphene as the perfect atomic lattice.
According to Phys.Org, it consists of a single atomic layer. In the case of graphene, these are arranged in a hexagonal pattern, which contributes to its incredible strength. It also has unparalleled electrical and thermal conductivity, is gas impermeable, and can be both brittle and ductile.
According to Cheng Bin of Nanjing University, the electrons’ quantum disordered state could be eliminated by adding a horizontal magnetic field to the material, similar to how ice is melted directly into water.
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