{"id":8442,"date":"2021-10-18T20:07:19","date_gmt":"2021-10-18T20:07:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/TheNextWeb=1370273"},"modified":"2021-10-18T20:07:19","modified_gmt":"2021-10-18T20:07:19","slug":"how-atomic-time-travel-could-reveal-the-mysteries-of-dark-matter-and-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/?p=8442","title":{"rendered":"How atomic time-travel could reveal the mysteries of dark matter and more"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Physicists from the University of Colorado have created an atomic clock so precise it can measure gravitational time dilation over distances as small as one millimeter.<\/p>\n

This record-breaking measurement could have implications reaching as far as redefining exactly how long a second is or discovering where all the dark matter in our universe is hiding.<\/p>\n

Up front:<\/strong> Einstein figured out that time functions differently depending on how close to a \u201cgravity well\u201d the observer is. So, for instance, if you\u2019re standing on the Earth wearing a watch it\u2019ll run a tad bit slower than if you\u2019re out in space.<\/p>\n

This phenomenon is known as gravitational time dilation<\/em><\/a>. We\u2019ve observed it in our solar system<\/a> in reference to the sun, and more recently out in deep space in a double-star system<\/a>.<\/p>\n

On Earth, the previous record for smallest observation of gravitational time dilation ever measured was about 33 centimeters<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Colorado team observed time dilation across an atomic clock stacked only a single millimeter high<\/em>, thus blowing the old record away.<\/p>\n

Background:<\/strong> The way the team accomplished such a feat was incredible. In essence, they arranged 100,000 atoms along a sort of scaffold that allowed them to stagger across an entire millimeter\u2019s distance. No small feat at the atomic scale.<\/p>\n

Then the team hit the atoms with beams of light tuned to specific frequencies to cause a reaction. At different \u201cheights\u201d away from the Earth, the atoms reacted either slower or faster. This demonstrated time dilation at the smallest scale we\u2019ve seen so far.<\/p>\n

Why it matters:<\/strong> The ability to accurately measure time cuts to the core of our species\u2019 ability to explore the cosmos.<\/p>\n

We don\u2019t have spaceships that can zip us out at light speed to explore the furthest reaches of space. We have telescopes and sensors.<\/p>\n

Understanding the universe requires observation of what\u2019s happening over vast distances of space and time. After all, we\u2019re not really seeing the stars twinkle in real time: we\u2019re observing beams of light that have potentially traveled for millions of years.<\/p>\n

Per the team\u2019s pre-print paper<\/a>, building a better atomic clock has massive implications:<\/p>\n

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Ultimately, clocks will study the union of general relativity and quantum mechanics once they become sensitive to the finite wavefunction of quantum objects oscillating in curved spacetime.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Quick take:<\/strong> Better measurements lead to better results. And in this case, we\u2019re closing in on one of the most fundamentally important events in human history: the unification of classical physics and quantum mechanics.<\/p>\n

Arguably, closing the measurement of time from distances as huge as a millimeter down to the atomic, subatomic, and quantum scales could be the lynchpin which binds a single, overarching \u2018theory of everything<\/em>\u2018 together.<\/p>\n

This would be huge, but it\u2019s also a long shot based on where the research is today. Luckily, there are closer targets for atomic clock technology that could also revolutionize our understanding of the universe, namely: dark matter.<\/p>\n

Many of Einstein\u2018s theories and those being explored by modern theoretical physicists hinge upon the existence of so-called \u201cdark matter<\/a>.\u201d This mysterious substance supposedly makes up more than 85% of the entire universe, but we can\u2019t seem to find it anywhere.<\/p>\n

And that\u2019s because it\u2019s currently undetectable. When we look for dark matter we\u2019re not trying to point a telescope at it. We\u2019re conducting measurements on everything but dark matter in hopes of painting its silhouette with math as a method for revealing it.<\/p>\n

The more precise we are at determining how events at extreme distances unfold over time, the more likely we\u2019ll be able to accurately identify what we\u2019re looking at \u2013 or not looking at, as the case may be.<\/p>\n

As with any pre-print research, it\u2019s worth waiting for peer review before we start shouting eureka from the rooftops. But, if this all adds up, this research could be some of the most exciting stuff we\u2019ve seen in the physics world all year.<\/p>\n

H\/t: Emily Conover, ScienceNews<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Source<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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