Scientist discover new form of matter!

[Maxi]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Scientists said on Wednesday they had created a new form of matter and predicted it could help lead to the next generation of superconductors for use in electricity generation, more efficient trains and countless other applications.


The new matter form is called a fermionic condensate and it is the sixth known form of matter -- after gases, solids, liquids, plasma and a Bose-Einstein condensate, created only in 1995.


"What we've done is create this new exotic form of matter," Deborah Jin, a physicist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology's joint lab with the University of Colorado, who led the study, told a news conference.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=570&ncid=753&e=3&u=/nm/20040128/sc_nm/science_matter_dc

Pretty cool IMO.

 

[Gorgon]

Yeah its cool, but I think they already implemented it.

Its I-ROBOT (NS-5).

 

[Fat Tony!]

Cool, hope they actually share this information instead of keeping it for just the US the whole world could benefit from this if they manage to make it into a superconductor

 

[Dedalus]

don't count on it...you'll find them selling products based on this technology to third world countries for extortionate prices. such is the way of the world (or just the US in this case).

on topic it's a good discovery, but the article says they've yet to convert it to a usable state, so we'll have to wait on that one.

 

[Fat Tony!]

^ yeh i know sad really... i mean saving energy helps us all out doesnt it? Greedy bastards this is why capitalism doesnt work.

 

[Top Secret]

yeh i know sad really... i mean saving energy helps us all out doesnt it? Greedy bastards this is why capitalism doesnt work.

Obviously, it does work.

 

[Dedalus]

Obviously, it does work.

an explanation of how it works would be nice.

 

[mrchimp]

If they really could create circutes which don't lose any energy through heat it would mean the end of heat sinks and more importantly would mean a huge increase in proccessor's and memory's efficiency and speed.

 

[Brian Damage]

No more cool copper doohickeys?

 

[Maskirovka]

They cooled potassium gas to a billionth of a degree C above absolute zero or minus 459 degrees F -- which is the point at which matter stops moving.

wow...i didn't know humans had the capability of getting so close to absolute zero.

Yeah its cool, but I think they already implemented it.

Its I-ROBOT (NS-5).

what does a will smith movie have to do with new forms of matter?

Obviously, it does work.

an explanation of how it works would be nice.

any explantion from either side would be better than this.

 

[jabberwock95]

wow...i didn't know humans had the capability of getting so close to absolute zero.

Yeah, neither did I. Supposedly its impossible to actually cool something to absolute zero, because you need somewhere colder for the heat to go. I wonder how they did this then?

 

[Maskirovka]

Yeah, neither did I. Supposedly its impossible to actually cool something to absolute zero, because you need somewhere colder for the heat to go. I wonder how they did this then?

yeah i'm not sure...must be some sort of new technique...unless this has been possible for a while and i'm behind the times

i remember learning in chemistry that at absolute zero, electrons collapse into the nucleus...that'd be cool if you could see that happen...the matter would just disappear.

 

[Brian Damage]

Actually, I think it would all become neutrons...

That's what happens in a neutron star; all the electrons get fused into their accompanying nuclei...

 

[Maskirovka]

a neutron star isn't at absolute zero....at absolute zero, matter stops moving completely...the electrons don't have enough energy to spin around the nucleus anymore, so they fall inward.

in a neutron star, there is just so much gravity, the neutrons don't repel each other anymore, so they're touching.

 

[Brian Damage]

I never said that neutron stars were at absolute zero, I was saying that I thought the end result would be the same...

EDIT: Err... neutrons don't repel anything... they're neutral... no appreciable charge...

 

[Brian Damage]

In a neutron star, the immense gravitational field has crushed the electrons into the cores of the atoms, converting most matter in the star into pure neutronium...

 

[Maskirovka]

yeah...that isn't the same thing as really really cold.

at absolute zero the electrons collapse into the core because of excessive cold = energy loss...
in a neutron star it happens because of gravity...

super dense matter like neutronium would be trillions of degrees in termp...this is the opposite situation, so the same thing isn't necessarily going to happen. (i'm not an expert)

 

[jabberwock95]

how do you peaple know all this? i watch star trek too, but you have me totally outclassed!

 

[PvtRyan]

Actually, I think it would all become neutrons...

That's what happens in a neutron star; all the electrons get fused into their accompanying nuclei...

You mean that the electrons get pushed into the protons and thus neutralizing eachother creating neutron?

 

[Brian Damage]

I'm not saying that it gets really really cold. I said that already.

I think, though, that the end result might be the same. I've heard both described, the "matter dissapears" result, and the "you get neutronium" result. Since we've never done it, and maybe never will, who knows what happens? At the moment, we can only theorise...

 

[Brian Damage]

You mean that the electrons get pushed into the protons and thus neutralizing eachother creating neutron?

I gather that that is what happens, although the process is probably somewhat more complex...

 

[jabberwock95]

Pause. What the hell is neutronium? How is it made? What does it do? and HOW THE HELL do you guys know all about it?

 

[Brian Damage]

Neutronium is a theoretical substance made entirely from neutrons.

Supposed to be really dense, heavy, and probably unstable...

 

[Sprafa]

Aren't anti-matter engines based on some sort of near absolute zero matter?
I think I heard something like that. If it is, I guess this is a great step on the Space exploration!

 

[jabberwock95]

Neutronium
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Neutronium is the informal term for an extremely dense phase of matter which occurs only in the intense pressure found in the core of neutron stars. For reasons that will be explained below, it is not often used in the scientific literature of Astronomy and Astrophysics.

When a massive star creates an iron core whose mass exceeds the Chandrasekhar limit, it will collapse and create a type II supernova. The core of the collapsing star is initially composed of iron supported by electron degeneracy pressure, since the nuclear fusion of iron doesn't release energy. When the core collapses, the densities and pressures in the core overcome even the electron degeneracy pressure and the iron atoms' electrons are compressed into their nuclei where they combine with protons to form neutrons.


electron + proton → neutron + neutrino
The neutrino is emitted from the core, leaving the neutron behind. The material that remains has a density of approximately 1014-1015 grams per cubic centimeter. A teaspoon full of this matter would have a mass of 100 million metric tons. This material has often been termed neutronium. However, because the physics of material at these high densities is unknown, it is far from clear if the interior of a neutron star is best described as a sea of neutrons. It is possible that rather than a sea of neutrons, the interior of a neutron star would best be modelled as a sea of free quarks or of heavy hyperons. It is also possible that neutron star material undergoes a number of phase transitions in which the material has radically different properties depending on the density and temperature of the material. It is also unknown how neutron star material would behave if the pressures on the star were suddenly reduced. Because of these uncertainties, the term neutronium is rarely found in the scientific literature.

All of these uncertainties can be summarized in an equation of state which describes the pressure of neutron star material given a certain temperature and density. Calculating equations of state is an active and uncertain area of physics. Frequently in the literature, scientists will refer to a "stiff" equation of state or a "soft" equation of state. A "stiff" equation of state has a higher pressure than a "soft" equation at a given temperature and density.

There is a limit beyond which a neutron star can no longer support itself via neutron degeneracy pressure and would collapse all the way into a black hole. The exact limit depends on the equation of state which is used but estimates range from 1.4 to 3 solar masses. Current equations of state are considerably "softer" than the guesses for equation of states used in the 1970's which had limits of 7 or 8 solar masses. Some theories predict an intermediate form of matter between neutronium and black holes, dubbed strange matter.


*jabberwock95 becomes irretrievably buried under scientific explanation*

 

[Brian Damage]

Shall I get my jargon shovel?

 

[Maskirovka]

Brian: what happens to the protons at absolute zero? do they cease to exist?

there is no super high gravity to smash them into the protons to make more neutrons, so they have to remain.

 

[jabberwock95]

Aren't anti-matter engines based on some sort of near absolute zero matter?
I think I heard something like that. If it is, I guess this is a great step on the Space exploration!

Why do I feel as if im fighting a losing battle on more than one front? As far as i know ( not too far ) antimatter is nothing to do with temperature. Its when any particle of normal matter meets a particle with a reversed charge (ie: electron and positron) they annihilate each other and release a great deal of energy. Unfortunately at the moment it takes considerably more energy to create the antimatter in the first place.

 

[Brian Damage]

Errr... what maskirovka? Smash the protons into protons?

EDIT: Oh, if you mean "Smash the electrons into protons", then I suppose they'd do that on their own. Positive and negative charges attract each other, and the electrons are no longer playing keep away...

 

[Maskirovka]

Errr... what maskirovka? Smash the protons into protons?

from what jabber posted:

When the core collapses, the densities and pressures in the core overcome even the electron degeneracy pressure and the iron atoms' electrons are compressed into their nuclei where they combine with protons to form neutrons.

so because of gravity, the electrons combine with protons to form more neutrons.

but in the case of absolute zero, there isn't super high gravity to combine the protons and electrons into more neutrons...therefore matter at absolute zero would not form neutronium because there would still be protons and electrons there...

research about super-low temperature matter usually discusses things like "electron clouds"....meaning that the electrons aren't combining with the protons.

anyway...nobody really knows what happens...i'm just trying to say that it probably wouldn't be the same situation as a neutron star because neutron star = huge amounts of energy and absolute zero = no energy.

 

[jabberwock95]

Antimatter
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Antimatter is matter that is composed of the antiparticles of those that constitute normal matter. An atom of anti-hydrogen, for instance, is composed of a negatively-charged antiproton being orbited by a positively-charged positron. If a particle/antiparticle pair comes in contact with each other, the two annihilate in a burst of electromagnetic radiation.

With antimatter, the entire possible energy of the matter could be harnessed, instead of the very small chemical energies or nuclear energies that can be extracted today. The reaction of 1 kg of antimatter with 1 kg of matter would produce 1.8×1017 J of energy (by the equation E=mc2). In contrast, burning a kilogram of petrol produces 4.2×107 J, and nuclear fusion of a kilogram of hydrogen would produce 2.6×1015 J.

Since the energy density is vastly higher than these other forms, the thrust to weight equation used in antimatter rocketry and spacecraft would be very different. In fact, the energy in a few grams of antimatter is enough to transport a small ship to the moon. It is hoped that antimatter could be used as fuel for interplanetary travel or possibly interstellar travel, but it is also feared that if humanity ever gets the capabilities to do so, there could be the construction of antimatter weapons.

Scientists succeeded in 1995 to produce anti-atoms of hydrogen, and also anti-deuteron nuclei, made out of an anti-proton plus an anti-neutron, but not yet more complex antimatter. Also, they exist for a very short time, they can not be stored. As far as we know there are no antimatter atoms in existence in this universe outside of our particle physics labs. This is a great mystery since one would expect matter and antimatter to have been generated in equal amounts after the Big Bang. The scarcity of antimatter has given us a stable universe, however, without which life could not have evolved.

The scarcity of antimatter means that it is not readily available to be used as fuel. Generating a single atom of antimatter is immensely difficult and requires particle accelerators and vast amounts of energy - millions of times more than is released after it is annihilated with ordinary matter, due to inefficiencies in the process. No more than a handful of antimatter atoms have ever been made. Therefore, unless substantial quantities from some as-yet unimagined natural source of antimatter are found, or ways to generate antimatter more efficiently are determined, antimatter will remain a curiosity rather than a viable propulsion system.

The symbol used to denote an antiparticle is the same symbol used to denote its normal matter counterpart, but with an overstrike. For example, a proton is denoted with a "p", and an antiproton is denoted by a "p" with a line over its top.


Great, now I have to dig my way out of this too. Damn intellectual thread...

 

[Brian Damage]

My post above, Maskirovka (may I just call you Mask?). Figured out what you meant.

 

[Brian Damage]

Hey, jabberwock, I think you need a jargon plough, now...

EDIT: Woah! 4:17 in the morning! Must go to bed! Getting new computer tomorrow :E !

 

[PvtRyan]

Aren't anti-matter engines based on some sort of near absolute zero matter?
I think I heard something like that. If it is, I guess this is a great step on the Space exploration!

No. Anti-matter is just matter with the opposite charge of their counterparts, the counterpart of the electron is the positron, with a positive charge.
Matter and anti-matter cancel eachother out and their mass is entirely converted into energy according to E = m x c^2

 

[Maskirovka]

most people shorten it to maski...and that sounds better in my head...but do whatever

 

[jabberwock95]

Hey, jabberwock, I think you need a jargon plough, now...

EDIT: Woah! 4:17 in the morning! Must go to bed! Getting new computer tomorrow :E !

Lol yeah. I have one question though. Whats an atom?

j/k

It's only 5:20 in the afternoon here, and lucky you with a new comp.

 

[Lucifer Crass]

Pause. What the hell is neutronium? How is it made? What does it do? and HOW THE HELL do you guys know all about it?

j00 r teh l337 n00bs0rZ, this is common information. One day we all got together and all graduated from harvard as Dr.'s in everyting

 

[Sprafa]

Can't anti-matter be the theoritical result of going below absolute zero?
I know what you're going to say - «absolute zero is the lowest temp!!!»
But one of my teachers was a strong supporter of this theory, I remember thats why I posted that.

 

[Maskirovka]

Can't anti-matter be the theoritical result of going below absolute zero?
I know what you're going to say - «absolute zero is the lowest temp!!!»
But one of my teachers was a strong supporter of this theory, I remember thats why I posted that.

you're talking pure theory now...find some articles or something on it if you want to talk about it...

cause as far as i know, energy is a positive only thing...you can't have negative energy...and heat = energy...so how can you have negative heat?

i'm not saying you're wrong...i'm not an expert (though i have had 2 semesters of physics in college) but i need more info before i can take sides...or whatever...

 

[jabberwock95]

Can't anti-matter be the theoritical result of going below absolute zero?
I know what you're going to say - «absolute zero is the lowest temp!!!»
But one of my teachers was a strong supporter of this theory, I remember thats why I posted that.

I have no idea. It's a difficult concept to get your head round, cooling something that has no energy left at all. I can't see how doing this would reverse the electrical charges but maybe we'd end up with some new form of matter. If anythings certain, its that we'd all likely get killed in the process. But, if it's in the name of science.