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from the is-that-a-particle-accelerator-in-your-pocket? dept.
Phys.org has the story on new research demonstrating an extremely small particle accelerator that uses lasers to generate terahertz frequency pulses of light to accelerate electrons.
Scientists have successfully developed a pocket-sized particle accelerator capable of projecting ultra-short electron beams with laser light at more than 99.99% of the speed of light.
To achieve this result, the researchers have had to slow down light to match the speed of the electrons using a specially designed metallic structure lined with quartz layers thinner than a human hair.
This huge leap forward simultaneously offers the ability to both measure and manipulate particle bunches on time scales of less than 10 femtoseconds (0.000 000 000 000 01 seconds, or the time is takes light to travel 1/100th of a millimeter). This will enable them to create strobe photographs of atomic motion.
Particle accelerators are widespread with applications in basic research in particle physics, materials characterisation, radiotherapy in hospitals, where they are used to treat cancer patients, radioisotope production for medical imaging, and security screening of cargo. The basic technology (radio-frequency oscillators) underpinning these machines however, was developed for radar during the Second World War.
In new research published today in Nature Photonics, a collaborative team of academics show that their unique solution is to use lasers to generate terahertz frequency pulses of light. Terahertz is a region of the electromagnetic spectrum between infrared (used in TV remotes) and microwave (used in microwave ovens). Laser-generated THz radiation exists in the ideal millimeter-scale wavelength regime, making structure fabrication simpler but most importantly providing the half-cycle lengths that are well suited for acceleration of whole electron bunches with high levels of charge.
In addition to applications such as radiotherapy and imaging, in the long run the researchers feel this technology could potentially be used to replace miles-long particle accelerators in use today with devices only meters in length.
Journal Reference
Hibberd, M.T., Healy, A.L., Lake, D.S. et al. Acceleration of relativistic beams using laser-generated terahertz pulses. Nat. Photonics (2020). DOI: 10.1038/s41566-020-0674-1
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Immerman on Wednesday August 12 2020, @03:16PM (1 child)
They'll accidentally create a lot more ghosts?
Well, they can definitely confirm the corpses anyway, the ghosts are B.S., but good for ratings.
Fun aside - they actually did a show at a hotel in my hometown that's widely accepted to be haunted - as in normally level-headed people I know personally, refuse to spend time in the affected areas anymore because they were unexpectedly overcome by such intense feelings of an angry malevolent presence while working there. The show of course completely ignored those areas, instead "documenting paranormal effects" in the photogenic areas where nobody had ever encountered any sort of paranormal activity.
(Score: 1) by khallow on Wednesday August 12 2020, @05:43PM
But too often I'll go into a hotel and see someone right there at the front desk. That's just begging for ghosts.