Physicists at MIT have made an exciting breakthrough. They’ve found a new way to explore the insides of an atom’s nucleus by using the atom’s electrons as tiny messengers. This method involves pairing radium with fluoride to create a molecule called radium monofluoride. Unlike traditional experiments that require huge facilities and high-speed electron collisions, this approach is like a mini particle collider you can set up on a table.
In their research, published in the journal Science, the team measured how the electrons in radium behaved when they interacted with the nucleus. When these electrons briefly penetrated the nucleus, they changed energy slightly—a shift that provided vital information about the nucleus’s structure.
The team’s method allows scientists to measure what’s called nuclear “magnetic distribution.” In essence, protons and neutrons in the nucleus act like tiny magnets. This could help solve fundamental questions in physics, including why there is so much more matter than antimatter in the universe.
As study co-author Ronald Fernando Garcia Ruiz explains, this research lays the groundwork to explore fundamental symmetries at the nuclear level. These symmetries are key to understanding the universe. Currently, scientists believe almost equal amounts of matter and antimatter existed after the Big Bang. Yet, today, we primarily observe matter. Understanding why could reshape our grasp of the universe.
Interestingly, radium atoms have an unusual, pear-like shape, which may enhance our ability to detect symmetry violations. This shape offers scientists a better chance to uncover the mysteries hidden within atomic nuclei.
Shane Wilkins, the study’s lead author, emphasizes the challenges posed by radium’s radioactive nature. Producing radium monofluoride is tricky, so accuracy in measurement is crucial. The team found that placing a radium atom in a molecule increases the chances of its electrons interacting with the nucleus.
By trapping and cooling these molecules, the researchers used laser systems to measure the electrons’ energy accurately. They discovered that the energy levels didn’t match expectations based solely on external interactions, indicating some electrons were interacting inside the nucleus.
For future tests, the team plans to map these nuclear forces more precisely. As Garcia Ruiz notes, radium-containing molecules are unique systems that may shed light on fundamental symmetries of nature.
This research points towards a deeper understanding of atomic structure and cosmology. It opens new avenues in physics and reflects a growing trend in the scientific community to use innovative methods for tackling age-old questions.
For more about this fascinating field of study, you can check out the complete findings in the article by Wilkins et al. in Science here.
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