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MIT Physicists Build World's First Fermion Microscope

Posted by samzenpus on from the all-the-better-to-see-you-with dept.

Zothecula writes: Researchers working at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) claim to have created a method to better observe fermions – the sub-atomic building blocks of matter – by constructing a microscope capable of viewing them in groups of a thousand at a time. A laser technique is used to herd the fermions into a viewing area and then freeze them in place so all of the captured particles can be imaged simultaneously.

4 of 31 comments (clear)

  1. not the first by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

    But actually the third group. The groups of Stefan Kuhr of the University of Strathclyde and Marcus Greiner in Harvard were first.

  2. Hmmmm ... by gstoddart · · Score: 3, Interesting

    A laser technique is used to herd the fermions

    So ... do fermions most resemble cows, or cats? I'm confused.

    --
    Lost at C:>. Found at C.
    1. Re:Hmmmm ... by Guy+Harris · · Score: 4, Interesting

      A laser technique is used to herd the fermions

      So ... do fermions most resemble cows, or cats? I'm confused.

      Well, fermions are called that because they exhibit Fermi-Dirac statistics, so they're arguably more like cats than cows.

    2. Re:Hmmmm ... by gdshaw · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Fermions => cats

      Bosons => cows

      (Bosons can be herded into the same quantum state, fermions cannot on account of the Pauli exclusion principle.)