In atomic propellers, quantum phenomena can mimic everyday physics
Thursday, June 1, 2017 - 05:32
in Physics & Chemistry
In molecules, there are certain groups of atoms that are able to rotate. This movement occurs under the influence of random stimuli from the environment, and is not continuous, but occurs in jumps. It is generally believed that such jumps occur in a manner that is typical of classical objects, such as a fan blade prodded by a finger. Chemists from the institutes of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw have, however, observed rotations that follow the non-intuitive rules of the quantum world. It turns out that under the appropriate conditions, quantum rotations can very well mimic normal, classical rotation.