Physicists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) recently developed a disruptive method that can explore the inner structure of atoms without the need for large particle accelerators, opening up a new path for scientists to reveal the inner mysteries of atoms. The research team combined radioactive radium (radium) atoms with fluorine atoms to form radium monofluorine molecules, allowing electrons to act as "messengers" in the atomic structure, briefly entering the nucleus and bringing back subtle "information" about its internal structure.
The results have been published in the journal Science. MIT researchers conducted high-precision measurements of the internal electron energy of chemically bonded radium monofluorine molecules. In this micro-particle "collider" environment, electrons are confined around atoms and can occasionally slip into the nucleus and return to orbit, allowing scientists to analyze the interior of the nucleus with great convenience.
The research team found that there was a very small but significant shift in the energy of some electrons, indicating that they did briefly enter the nucleus of the radium atom and interact with the protons and neutrons inside. This phenomenon provides scientists with a new means to map the "magnetic distribution" of atomic nuclei. Each proton and neutron acts like a small magnet, and the way they are arranged affects the magnetic distribution. The MIT team plans to use this technology to map the magnetic arrangement inside the radium nucleus in detail for the first time, which is expected to explain basic mysteries such as why the universe is dominated by matter and has almost no antimatter.
The research team also pointed out that the nuclear shape of radioactive radium atoms is not the common spherical shape, but is approximately pear-shaped. The unique asymmetric structure is believed to be able to significantly amplify the basic symmetry breaking effect. Detecting this symmetry violation is an important step in understanding why matter dominates the universe and antimatter is on the verge of disappearing. This method is an unprecedented "symmetry amplifier" that can detect the basic laws of atomic nuclear structure with high sensitivity under desktop experimental conditions.
During the experiment, the researchers used a vacuum system and laser to conduct precise measurements on the cooled radium monofluorine molecules and found that the electron energy was one millionth lower than expected, which directly proved that the electrons entered and interacted with the interior of the nucleus. This technology not only improves the accuracy of measuring atomic nuclei, but also lays the foundation for future precision experiments in preparing and manipulating the directionality of molecules.
The MIT team said that as the molecules cool and finely control the orientation of the pear-shaped core, they are expected to draw a more precise "force distribution map" within the nucleus and further explore whether there are unrevealed violations of the fundamental symmetries of nature.
The project is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy and other agencies, and the collaborative team also includes researchers from institutions such as the Collinear Resonance Ionization Spectroscopy Experiment in Switzerland.
Compiled from /ScitechDaily