Innovation

A scientific miracle, the first photo of an atom is five years old

Five years ago, a scientist managed to do what no one before him had managed to do: photograph a single atom. This stunning image won the top science photography prize organized by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (UK). "New Science" informs about this.

The photo shows a single strontium atom. A real technical feat, because to take this picture, the atom was first cooled to a very low temperature with a laser and then "caught" by magnetic fields that held it in place.

An ion chamber was then used to illuminate the atom with an ion beam so that it could be seen. In the photo, it looks like a small bright blue dot suspended in a vacuum between two electrodes. Note that the photo was taken in black and white and then colored to better highlight the strontium atom.

In addition, the nucleus of the atom is not directly visible in the photo. This is because only electrons that are in fast motion around the nucleus can interact with light and create a visible image. Therefore, the photo shows a cloud of electrons around the nucleus, and not the nucleus itself.