#electrons

#electrons

Wigner Crystal: A Solid Made of ElectronsWhy are crystals so beautiful? Probably because they are composed of neatly arranged atoms.Just like atoms, electrons can arrange themselves to form a crystal. Given the right conditions, electrons organize themselves into a tidy honeycomb pattern. The pattern form is called a Wigner crystal - named after the Hungarian theorist who first imagined them almost 90 years ago. Physicists from the University of California captured an image of the Wigner crystal for the first time with the use of a scanning tunneling microscope (STM). By using the same graphene-based method, STM studies can go beyond other interesting physical phenomena.Image: H. Li et al./Nature#Crystal #HoneycombPattern #Electrons

This Is Lab-Made Metallic WaterUnder normal circumstances, pure, distilled water (water removed of impurities such as salt) cannot conduct electricity due to its loosely linked molecules and bound valence electrons. But put water in an environment of extreme pressure, such as in the cores of giant planets like Jupiter, and it goes into a metallic phase, with its electrons behaving like free electrons in a conduction band. This fact on its own is already amazing. However, recreating this phase transition of water is more amazing, and this just happened for the first time ever.Using the electron storage ring BESSY II, a group of 15 scientists from 11 research institutions have successfully produced a aqueous solution with metallic properties, but with a different method. Instead, the scientists experimented with alkali metals, putting a tiny amount of water into a sodium-potassium alloy (which is liquid in room temperature.) According to the report by Dr. Robert Seidel, the scientist who supervised the experiments at BESSY II, this phase transition of water could even be seen by the naked eye.Siedel states that their study proves that metallic water can be produced here on Earth, and that their study “characterises the spectroscopic properties associated with its beautiful golden metallic luster.”Truly magnificent.(Images Credit: HZB)#Water #MetallicWater #BESSYII #Electrons #ConductionBand #AlkaliMetals #Chemistry