And now we have the first X-ray taken of a single atom

[BootinUp]

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Michael Argentini


And now we have the first X-ray taken of a single atom, courtesy of scientists from Ohio University, Argonne National Laboratory, and the University of Illinois-Chicago, according to a new paper published in the journal Nature.

#science #awesome

https://nonsequiturs.social/@argentini/110467101729241371

[lapfog_1]

1. the protons/neutrons of an atom

if it was a picture of the electrons, it would not be correct by definition.

we cannot know the positions of electrons, plus resolving the election with an X-ray is... very difficult.

Looks to be a Carbon atom.

[Jim__]

2. It's triggered by photoabsorbption of electrons.

From phys.org

When X-rays (blue color) illuminate onto an iron atom (red ball at the center of the molecule), core level electrons are excited. X-ray excited electrons are then tunnel to the detector tip (gray) via overlapping atomic/molecular orbitals, which provide elemental and chemical information of the iron atom. Credit: Saw-Wai Hla

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For demonstration, the team chose an iron atom and a terbium atom, both inserted in respective molecular hosts. To detect X-ray signal of one atom, the research team supplemented conventional detectors in X-rays with a specialized detector made of a sharp metal tip positioned at extreme proximity to the sample to collect X-ray excited electrons—a technique known as synchrotron X-ray scanning tunneling microscopy or SX-STM. X-ray spectroscopy in SX-STM is triggered by photoabsorption of core level electrons, which constitutes elemental fingerprints and is effective in identifying the elemental type of the materials directly.

According to Hla, the spectrums are like fingerprints, each one being unique and able to detect exactly what it is.

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