Scientists have recetly succeeded in creating lighty using a vacuum. during this experiment scientists mangaged to capture photons that dissapear and reappear in the vacuum! This theory was created almost 40 years ago and was finally managed today.
before we continue with how they conducted the experiment I need to get a few facts strait. Most people describe a vacuum and nothingness on the inside. This is an incorrect statement, "A vacuum is full of various particles that are continuously fluctuating in and out of existence. They appear, exist for a brief moment and then disappear again. Since their existence is so fleeting, they are usually referred to as virtual particles." (quote taken from science news daily.)
During this vacuum experiment scientists succeeded in taking virtual photons and turning them into real photons. But was are photons? Photons are elementary particles that are part of the electromagnetic interaction, they are used as a unit of light as well as other forms of electromagnetic radiation. Photons can also be used as a carrier for the electromagnetic force.
In order for the scienctists to conduct this experiment they needed to mirror the photons, there is however no mirrror that can move fast enough inorder to track the fast moving photons. "Since it's not possible to get a mirror to move fast enough, we've developed another method for achieving the same effect," explains Per Delsing, Professor of Experimental Physics at Chalmers. "Instead of varying the physical distance to a mirror, we've varied the electrical distance to an electrical short circuit that acts as a mirror for microwaves."
Once they have done that Scientists working on this worked on finding photons that appeared in pairs rather than singularly.
Though the physics used in this experiment was way above me with a bit of research and definitions of certain words (like photons) i began t understand the article and found it very interesting how using a vacuum they succeeded in creating light! By conducting this experiment scientists have learn how to create light using a vacuum, learn more about vacuum fluctuations, as well as the way the disappearance of virtual particles work in a vacuum.
before we continue with how they conducted the experiment I need to get a few facts strait. Most people describe a vacuum and nothingness on the inside. This is an incorrect statement, "A vacuum is full of various particles that are continuously fluctuating in and out of existence. They appear, exist for a brief moment and then disappear again. Since their existence is so fleeting, they are usually referred to as virtual particles." (quote taken from science news daily.)
During this vacuum experiment scientists succeeded in taking virtual photons and turning them into real photons. But was are photons? Photons are elementary particles that are part of the electromagnetic interaction, they are used as a unit of light as well as other forms of electromagnetic radiation. Photons can also be used as a carrier for the electromagnetic force.
In order for the scienctists to conduct this experiment they needed to mirror the photons, there is however no mirrror that can move fast enough inorder to track the fast moving photons. "Since it's not possible to get a mirror to move fast enough, we've developed another method for achieving the same effect," explains Per Delsing, Professor of Experimental Physics at Chalmers. "Instead of varying the physical distance to a mirror, we've varied the electrical distance to an electrical short circuit that acts as a mirror for microwaves."
Once they have done that Scientists working on this worked on finding photons that appeared in pairs rather than singularly.
Though the physics used in this experiment was way above me with a bit of research and definitions of certain words (like photons) i began t understand the article and found it very interesting how using a vacuum they succeeded in creating light! By conducting this experiment scientists have learn how to create light using a vacuum, learn more about vacuum fluctuations, as well as the way the disappearance of virtual particles work in a vacuum.
Emily, don't forget the format for all these current events. Author, site, date it was written.
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