Shulou(Shulou.com)11/24 Report--

We know that atoms are made up of some combination of protons, neutrons and electrons. The simplest atomic hydrogen has only one proton and only one electron revolves around it. But it turns out that there is a simpler "atom" than hydrogen. It is called echelon or μ element, and it can help researchers understand the mysteries of physics.

The muon element gets its name from a particle called a muon, which is almost exactly the same as an electron, but there are two key differences between them. First of all, the mass of the μ is about 200 times that of the electron, but it is still about 9 times lighter than the proton. Second, it is unstable, and after about 2/1000000 seconds, it decays spontaneously, leaving behind an electron and other subatomic particles.

These 2/1000000 seconds are imperceptibly short for humans like us, but for muons, they are enough to interact with other particles. Not only that, it can also build relationships with other particles, such as making things that look like hydrogen atoms! However, the muon is negatively charged, and the center of hydrogen is a positively charged proton, so how can the muon form something like a hydrogen atom?

In fact, the muon element does not contain the muon. Instead, it uses the anti-muon. Each type of subatomic particle has an antimatter counterpart of the same mass but opposite charge. The antimuon has the same mass and decay time as the muon, but it carries a positive charge instead of a negative charge. The key point: the strength of a positive charge is exactly the same as that of a proton, so if an ordinary electron moves in an orbit around an antimuon, it forms something similar to an atom.

In chemistry, it is important that they have the same charge, while the mass difference between protons and antimuons is not that important. Therefore, if its ultra-short lifetime is ignored, the role of μ "atom" as a chemical substance is almost exactly the same as that of proton-based hydrogen atom, which is why some scientists believe that μ element is the lightest hydrogen. Like other forms of hydrogen, such as deuterium and tritium, chemists give μ elements an honorary chemical symbol: Mu. If you are willing to think of Mu as an element, then it becomes the simplest element in the universe.

Today, antimuons are easily generated in particle accelerators. But their initial speed is very fast, and making μ elements needs to slow them down. This can be done by placing aluminum or gold foil on the path, slowing them down by letting antimicrons hit electrons, etc. When they become slow enough, "opposites attract" begins to happen. Positively charged antimuons can peel off some negatively charged electrons that move around other atoms, thus forming μ elements.

Now, physicists don't make these strange atoms for fun. They make μ elements because it allows them to use experimental techniques in the field of atomic physics to study subatoms. For example, each atom has its own unique color sequence of emission and absorption, which is called a spectrum. Basically, it allows scientists to learn more about the subatomic structure and properties of a given atom.

μ element also has its own spectrum, because its structure is simpler, so the theoretical calculation will be easier. As a result, scientists can study the spectrum with great precision and compare it with the theory, which allows them to look for places where the muon theory fails. Because these theories tend to describe the behavior of other particles, it has become a test bed for all particle physics.

In addition, μ elements may answer a more specific question: gravity. Specifically, does gravity attract antimatter as much as ordinary matter? This question is difficult to answer because no one has created enough antimatter to "weigh" it correctly. μ element may be the solution to this problem, it is relatively easy to manufacture, and as a whole is electrically neutral. This means that it will be easier for scientists to eliminate the effects caused by electromagnetic forces and focus only on the way gravity works.

This article comes from the official account of Wechat: Vientiane experience (ID:UR4351), author: Eugene Wang

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