We are familiar with three states of matter and many of us know fourth state plasma. When a gas molecule is heated to a very extreme high temperature, that causes the vigorous collision between its atoms, so that the electrons are ripped off which gives rise to an electron and an ion. The same process is occurring in stars. But in this article we are going to see about fifth state of matter.
NASA has cooled a cloud of rubidium atoms to ten million of degree above absolute kelvin, there by producing a fifth rare state of matter in international space station. The Cold Atom Lab (CAL) is a compact quantum physics machine, a device built to work in the confines of the International Space Station (ISS) that launched into space in May 2018. NASA has said that it produces the first Bose-Einstein condensates, this instrument is mount in middle of international space station because the center of gravity resides in the center and that the fifth state of matter is highly affected by gravity. This instrument is operated during the sleeping time of astronaut because the instrument has laser inside it, if the instrument is disturbed during its operation it may leads to heavy damage of the instruments. it is the size of the small refrigerator it can be operated remotely from the earth. this experiment was conducted in NASA jet propulsion laboratory.
why this is conducted in space?
The super cooled clouds of atoms are freezed to about ten million of degree above absolute kelvin, at this time the atoms in the cloud are so cold, they move extremely slow know as Bose-Einstein condensate but, under earth gravity the atoms can't be slowed down enough for the researchers to observe and that fifth state of matter is existed not even a second. In order to extend this we need gravity less atmosphere this can be get only in space.
But, aboard the space station in a micro gravity environment is far different from earth atmosphere. Without Earth's gravity getting in the way, these atoms can be slowed down more than they can anywhere else, using lasers and magnetic forces in an "ice-chest-like" compartment. The lasers slow down the atoms, cooling them to one-tenth of a billion of a degree above absolute zero. This is very helpful to study the quantum activity of matter in detailed manner.
Inside the compartment it contains the chip for atom source and it is rubidium. After cooling the atoms, CAL will automatically load them into weak magnetic traps, where researchers can study them. With the atoms held in place, the teams will be able to observe them in a variety of quantum states and interactions.
Studying the hypercooled atoms could reshape our understanding of matter and the fundamental nature of gravity. The existence of this may be of roughly 15 to 20 seconds it may not sounds to be a great time but, this is effective.
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| image credit : NASA JPL |
NASA has cooled a cloud of rubidium atoms to ten million of degree above absolute kelvin, there by producing a fifth rare state of matter in international space station. The Cold Atom Lab (CAL) is a compact quantum physics machine, a device built to work in the confines of the International Space Station (ISS) that launched into space in May 2018. NASA has said that it produces the first Bose-Einstein condensates, this instrument is mount in middle of international space station because the center of gravity resides in the center and that the fifth state of matter is highly affected by gravity. This instrument is operated during the sleeping time of astronaut because the instrument has laser inside it, if the instrument is disturbed during its operation it may leads to heavy damage of the instruments. it is the size of the small refrigerator it can be operated remotely from the earth. this experiment was conducted in NASA jet propulsion laboratory.
 |
| formation of Bose-Einstein condensate image credit : NASA JPl |
why this is conducted in space?
The super cooled clouds of atoms are freezed to about ten million of degree above absolute kelvin, at this time the atoms in the cloud are so cold, they move extremely slow know as Bose-Einstein condensate but, under earth gravity the atoms can't be slowed down enough for the researchers to observe and that fifth state of matter is existed not even a second. In order to extend this we need gravity less atmosphere this can be get only in space.
 |
| cold atom laboratory image credit : NASA JPL |
But, aboard the space station in a micro gravity environment is far different from earth atmosphere. Without Earth's gravity getting in the way, these atoms can be slowed down more than they can anywhere else, using lasers and magnetic forces in an "ice-chest-like" compartment. The lasers slow down the atoms, cooling them to one-tenth of a billion of a degree above absolute zero. This is very helpful to study the quantum activity of matter in detailed manner.
Inside the compartment it contains the chip for atom source and it is rubidium. After cooling the atoms, CAL will automatically load them into weak magnetic traps, where researchers can study them. With the atoms held in place, the teams will be able to observe them in a variety of quantum states and interactions.
Studying the hypercooled atoms could reshape our understanding of matter and the fundamental nature of gravity. The existence of this may be of roughly 15 to 20 seconds it may not sounds to be a great time but, this is effective.
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