Under Observation -- Restless Atoms Cause Materials to Age
Monday, September 14, 2009 - 09:21
in Physics & Chemistry
(PhysOrg.com) -- Atoms have the habit of jumping through solids - a practice that physicists have recently been able to follow for the first time using a brand new method. This scientific advance was made possible thanks to the utilisation of cutting-edge X-ray sources, known as electron synchrotrons. The detailed findings of the project, backed by the Austrian Science Fund, were recently published in the prestigious journal Nature Materials. The work unlocks new potential for the study of material ageing processes at the atomic level.