Description:

Single atoms and subatomic particles, like electrons or photons, can behave in very unusual ways unpredictable by the classical laws of physics that govern larger objects. This particular structure (about 8nm x 8nm in size) was made with a scanning tunneling microscope at a very cold temperature of 2.3 Kelvin (about -455 degrees Fahrenheit). The larger blue peaks (upper left and lower right) are a pair of cobalt atoms, while the two smaller peaks are single cobalt atoms. The swirls on the copper surface illustrate how the cobalt and copper electrons interact with each other.

 

Previous Day/Next Day

Please contact the webmaster if you would like to submit an image