Researchers at the University of British Columbia have developed a technique that helps scientists take an important step in discovering the mystery of the most common form of matter in the universe.
Plasma - or ionized gas - can appear in ordinary objects such as fluorescent lamps, or phenomena such as fusion. The Earth's outer atmosphere is plasma, lightning and most stars also form from this matter.
For nearly 100 years, physicists have sought to develop mathematical theory to explain the state of plasma, but detailed knowledge of the plasma's chemical composition and its precise interaction structure remains is a big question. Conventional plasma is hot, complex and difficult to extract in nature or in the laboratory.
Recently, some laboratories have begun to study a new type of plasma that is very simple, which promises to raise our understanding of plasma to a new level. These plasmas, called supercooled plasmas, are formed from the isolation of molecules, cooling to approximately zero degrees in order to form nearly unshakeable ions and electrons. With this control scientists can study the basic processes that plasma atoms are formed and developed.
For the first time UBC researchers have found a way to create supercooled plasma. Beginning with an ultrasound-cooled gas sample, a research group led by Ed Grant, professor and director of the chemistry department, created a plasma from nitrous oxide that has a cold ion and electron temperature like plasma. into isolated atoms.
These plasmas last for 30 microseconds or even more, unlike atoms, ions can be quickly separated by combining with electrons. Grant said: 'It's amazing that our plasma exists for such a long time. Dense charged molecular density hinders the combination of ions and electrons'.
This technique, published in Physical Review Letters, not only produces plasma with three times the density of isolated atomic plasma, but also has a greater degree of correlation, expressing factor. Concentrated motion like liquid.
Grant said: 'Molecules are meant as' holy grail' in supercooled science. This technique opens up a whole new area for physics'.
Grant also said that understanding the supercooled plasma at the molecular level can bring new knowledge about the planetary gas (Sau Moc, Saturn, Pluto, Neptune in the solar system), why white, fusion and X-ray laser reaction.