Nobel Prize In Physics For Bose-Einstein Condensate

LMCBoy writes "The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced the 2001 Nobel Prize in Physics today. The award went to scientists who managed to construct a Bose-Einstein condensate from Rubidium and Sodium atoms. The process involves cooling the atoms to about 20 nanoKelvin. From the press release: 'A laser beam differs from the light from an ordinary light bulb in several ways. In the laser the light particles all have the same energy and oscillate together. To cause matter also to behave in this controlled way has long been a challenge for researchers. This year's Nobel Laureates have succeeded - they have caused atoms to "sing in unison" - thus discovering a new state of matter, the Bose-Einstein condensate.'" This is the same reasearch that Hemos recently posted about.

Okay...

[sirgoran]

So does this put us closer to getting transporters?

I know more than a few folks I'd want to reduce to simple energy.

Goran

As I recall

[Water Paradox]

As I recall, I was able to create the Bose-Einstein condensate in my kitchen sink once. Man, all that hard work, and THESE guys get the Nobel for it... Well, better them than me, leaves me more time for programming...

Time to invest in Bose

[nizo]

Just imagine all the cool speakers they will be selling soon, with nobel prize winning scientists working for them!

New state of matter?

[kypper]

...thus discovering a new state of matter, the Bose-Einstein condensate.'

Jeez... now I have yet another state and a crapload of equations to memorize. What's the enthalpy? The spontaneity?

We need a short form name. Solid, liquid, gas and Bose-Einstein condensate really just... doesn't work out that well in the naming scheme.

Re:New state of matter?

[Beowulfto]

Solid, liquid, gas and Bose-Einstein condensate

You forgot plasma. Mmmm.... yummy plasma.

How to do it

[hardburn]

Rubidium and sodium have the intresting property that, when combined, they condense at around 35 kilojoules, very close to the famed Velhany constant.

However, it is also very difficult to find these two atoms in a pure form. The only good way to do it is to spin basic molecules containing these two elements through xeon gas within a 20 megagauss accellerator, of which there is only two in the world. Once you have them, it is very hard to keep them from combining with other elements again. You must immediatly cool them to around 3 Kelvin or you'll have to start all over again.

To actualy produce temperatures like 20 nano Kelvin, you can't use other materials (such as liquid nitrogen). The best way is to use two large magnets and a laser. If aligned properly, the magnets will actualy bend the laser around the atoms, producing a sort of barrier that will not allow energy in, but will allow it to escape. The magnets have the secondary effect of helping suck energy out of the material.

(Yes, I made all this up. I want to see how many people slashdotters flame me for all this BS when they haven't read this far down. Yes, I have karma to burn.)

...they have caused atoms to "sing in unison"

[sharkey]

A-one, and a-two...

Cumbayah, My Lord, Cumbayah.
Cumbayah, My Lord, Cumbayah.
Oh, Lord, Cumbayah.

Someone's splitting, My Lord, Cumbayah.
Someone's splitting, My Lord, Cumbayah.
Oh, Lord, Cumbayah.

Someone's fusing, My Lord, Cumbayah.
Someone's fusing, My Lord, Cumbayah.
Oh, Lord, Cumbayah.

Re:Congratulations!

[Spy Hunter]

Wow! I think every scientific experiment should have cool minigames [colorado.edu]!

See the rest here [colorado.edu]!

Re:New state of matter?

[LordOfTheHunt]

Hmm.. Plasma -> Gas -> Liquid -> Solid and then the Bec. I can see it now. Bec Beer, when iced just isn't cold enough.

Scott