- 4550 -
ATOM INTERFEROMETER - new
discoveries in space? - Space-based atom interferometry will lead
to exciting new discoveries and fantastic quantum technologies impacting
everyday life, and will transport us into a quantum future.
-
--------------- 4550 - ATOM INTERFEROMETER - new discoveries in space?
Scientists at NASA's Cold Atom Lab (CAL)
onboard the International Space Station (ISS) have announced that, for the
first time, they have successfully made high-precision measurements using a
quantum sensor based on ultra-cold atoms of the element Rubidium.
-
- Working versions of these sensors would
offer new opportunities for scientific discoveries through the study of quantum
phenomena, testing the limits of fundamental physics and maybe even pushing
beyond theories such as general relativity and the Standard Model of particle
physics.
-
- CAL researchers were able to measure the
subtle vibrations of the ISS itself, using an instrument called an atom
interferometer, It's one of the most
advanced technologies for making high-precision measurements. The technique is
based on the same principles as optical interferometry, where light is split
into two beams that travel along different optical paths before getting
combined to produce interference. Any differences between the beams' paths
allows for extremely precise detection of changes in the environment.
-
- Instead of light, however, atom
interferometry uses atoms cooled to near absolute zero (-459 degrees Fahrenheit
or -273 degrees Celsius), and relies on their ability to exist in multiple
positions and motions at the same time due to quantum effects that become
apparent at this ultra-cold temperature.
-
- When atoms move through an interferometer,
they create patterns called fringes, which contain information about forces
like gravity or other environmental influences. And, because atoms move much
slower than light, they are affected by these forces for a longer time,
allowing for very precise measurements that are much more sensitive than their
optical counterparts.
-
- On Earth, atom interferometers have allowed
scientists to achieve incredible feats, such as building absolute gravimeters
and investigating changes in fundamental constants of nature with baffling
accuracy. But physicists have been eager to apply atom interferometry in space,
where microgravity helps eliminate interference and allows scientists to take
even longer measurements that would actually, in turn, improve the instrument's
sensitivity altogether.
-
- The CAL scientists were able to run their
measurements remotely from Earth. It
will become possible to make even more precise measurements of gravity that
would allow us to investigate and understand our cosmos in greater detail than
ever. They could reveal the composition
of planets and moons in our solar system, because different materials have
different densities that create subtle variations in gravity.
-
- This enhanced sensitivity could also enable scientists
to finally detect dark matter, an elusive substance that has remained a cosmic
mystery due to its weak interactions with particles and gravitational fields.
-
- Atom interferometry could also be used to
test Einstein's theory of general relativity in new ways. This is the basic theory explaining the
large-scale structure of our universe, and we know that there are aspects of
the theory that we don’t understand correctly. This technology may help us fill
in those gaps and give us a more complete picture of the reality.
-
- Space-based atom interferometry will lead
to exciting new discoveries and fantastic quantum technologies impacting
everyday life, and will transport us into a quantum future.
-
-
September 9, 2024 ATOM
INTERFEROMETER - new discoveries in space? 4550
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--------------------- --- Sunday, September 8,
2024
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