Scientists Capture Shadow Cast By 1 Atom

slew writes "Scientist at Griffith University have shown the first absorption image of a single atom isolated in a vacuum. A single atomic ion was confined in an RF Paul trap and the absorption imaged at near wavelength resolution with a phase Fresnel lens. They predict this absorption imaging technique should prove useful in quantum information processing and using the minimum amount of illumination for bio-imaging of light-sensitive samples. Here's a pointer to the paper."

Re:RF Paul trap?

[zill]

Radio Frequency Paul trap, also known as an ion trap, is named after its inventor Wolfgang Paul. But thanks for derailing the discussion.

Re:

[Anonymous Coward]

Basic Science. We may not be able to use it immediately, but when someone figures out what to do with it, a lot can be done.

We have electricity. What is it made of?
We have electrons. Can we control how it travels?
We have computers. What would we do if we connected them?
We have networks and internet. What can we do with this?
We have Slashdot.

Simply:
"If I have seen further it is by standing on ye sholders of Giants [sic]." -- Newton

Re:

[mcgrew]

Newton wasn't the first to say that. [wikipedia.org]

the metaphor was first recorded in the twelfth century and attributed to Bernard of Chartres.[1] It was famously uttered by seventeenth-century scientist Isaac Newton (see below), as the statement "If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants"

Re:

[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

Re:Previously Smallest Shadow

[instagib]

I fail

You got that right.

Call me dumb

No, because on this site we try to avoid redundant posts.

Re:

[Phroggy]

Redundant articles are still OK, though, right? ;-)

Re:

[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

Re:Previously Smallest Shadow

[aevan]

Um, no duh they treat the Higgs-Boson like a religious event: it holds mass fer christ's sake!!

Re:

[jo_ham]

I'm so sorry you have so little joy in your life that you can't appreciate it in others when they achieve something that took time, hard work and enhancing our understanding of science.

I pity you that look with derision on people who sincerely enjoy what they do for a living and dare to show a little passion as the fruits of the labour start to show up.

The fact that you think they're crying over "nothing" shows just how narrow minded you really are. It's a shame.

Re:Previously Smallest Shadow

[schroedingers_hat]

It's a damn sight more exciting, and memorable than one group of people being slightly better at kicking/throwing/chasing a ball than another group of people that evening -- and I've seen people cry, yell, shout, scream, and beat the shit out of anyone who doesn't agree with their reaction in response to sports.

Re:

[TapeCutter]

Envy is an ugly emotion.

atom bomb, shmatom momb

[ruggerboy]

Can't wait for the first atom photo bomb.

Re:atom bomb, shmatom momb

[NoNonAlphaCharsHere]

Looks like you didn't notice that Einsteinium atom in the background sticking its tongue out.

Re:

[eltaco]

I'm just glad it didn't blink :-)

Re:

[bobzieruncle]

When you see it, you will shit bricks! :D

Re:The important question is...

[ackthpt]

Do I look fat with this electron?

No, but you might want to shed a few Higgs-Bosons.

Re:

[Anonymous Coward]

Not at all, I can feel the attraction all the way over here. Maybe that's just me being positive..

Re:The important question is...

[jo_ham]

Do I look fat with this electron?

Negative.

Well, SURE it was cool; but

[93 Escort Wagon]

The atom was Jumbonium.

Re:Well, SURE it was cool; but

[Anonymous Coward]

For those interested, it was actually - Ytterbium

Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of atoms?

[PTBarnum]

Will the evil scientist RF Paul succeed in trapping our hero? Tune in next week!

Re:

[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

Re:

[mcgrew]

It's officlai /. is durnk.

You drank slashdot?

Re:

[fostware]

It'll be an Extravaganza!!

Oh, wait. That's RU Paul

Schrodinger's cat

[Grayhand]

Oddly enough the shadow resembled a cat's paw. A relieved cat insisted he wasn't responsible for changing the results of the experiment and was unconcerned about the gun pointed towards his head throughout the test.

Re:

[Sulphur]

I was hoping for some double-slit experiment type revelation so we could have our own groundhog day.

The groundhog slit our hands twice each time we tried to grab one. Should we try gloves?

Re:

[VortexCortex]

I was hoping for some double-slit experiment...

Well, that would have been nice except it was an experiment involving a single atom, not a pair of hypothetical lesbians.

Re:

[mcgrew]

Like this? [angryflower.com]

Re:

[jo_ham]

This was done by a bunch of foreign nationals and not in America

Yeah, and they told me they were going to use it to permanently cast the 9/11 Ground Zero memorial in shadow.

Well that's just great.

[Anonymous Coward]

We finally get our first actual photograph of an atom, and it ends up being one of those artsy-fartsy monochromatic photos of a shadow. Best viewed while eating a croissant, or perhaps sipping champagne.

It's small

[iplayfast]

but it casts a big shadow....

Sorry just had to say.

Cool takaway

[l0ungeb0y]

"You cannot see anything smaller than an atom using visible light"

-- what an informative and cool bit of trivia. I did not know you could see atoms in the visible light spectrum.

Shopped

[Delarth799]

That looks shopped.. you can tell by the pixels.

Re:

[Anonymous Coward]

That looks shopped.. you can tell by the pixel.

FTFY

For those who didn't RTFA

[GameboyRMH]

It looks like the sun's asshole :-P