Image via energy.gov
Volunteer Writer: Akshit Bagga
Email: abagga@umassd.edu
Scientists have smashed atoms into atoms and unleashed a strong magnetic field that could dwarf a neutron star’s grip. This is equal to having magnetic fields from billions of MRI machines.
The galaxy in which we live is a place of extremes. One of the most amazing things in this galaxy is the magnetar, which carries enormous magnetic fields. Magnetars can generate magnetic fields of more than 100 trillion gauss, which is a trillion times more than any household refrigerator, as an average fridge generates only 100 gauss of magnetic fields.
Interesting, right? In the quantum world, this seems like nothing.
An international group of physicists worked with the Realistic Heavy Ion Collider in Upton, New York, at the Brookhaven National Laboratory. This was part of the Solenoidal Tracker at RHIC (STAR) experiment, where they discovered the most powerful magnetic field in a nuclear matter.
Scientists first recorded this powerful magnetic field when quarks and gluon plasma formed after an off-center collision of heavy atomic nuclei was set free.
As the Department of Energy defines it, Quarks and Gluons are building blocks of protons and neutrons, which form the atomic nuclei and cannot be broken down into pieces. While quarks can have a positive or negative charge, gluons have no electric charge.
In a press statement, Gang Wang, a STAR physicist from the University of California, Los Angeles, said, “Those fast-moving positive charges should generate a very strong magnetic field, predicted to be 1018 gauss.” He adds that they are looking at the collective motion of charged particles.
The strength of these magnetic fields is so intense that if a human were to get closer than 1,000 km (600 miles) away, their body would be destroyed. The magnetic field generated by scientists can make magnetars look feeble. Scientists have even discovered some zones where these fields exist on our planet.
“We wanted to see if the charged particles generated in off-center heavy ion collisions were being deflected in a way that could only be explained by the existence of an electromagnetic field in the tiny specks of QGP created in these collisions,” said Aihong Tang, a Brookhaven Lab expert, physicist, and member of the STAR experiment.
Scientists smashed together a nucleus of various heavy ions in massive particle accelerators. Now, by measuring the motion of even smaller particles, they hope to gain insights into the deep inner workings of these atoms.
A STAR physicist from Fudan University in China, Diyu Shen, informed, “This is the first measurement of how the magnetic field interacts with the quark-gluon plasma (QGP).”
When asked about the implications of this discovery, he added, “This is a fundamental and important property. We can infer the value of the conductivity from our measurement of the collective motion. The extent to which the particles are deflected relates directly to the strength of the electromagnetic field and the conductivity in the QCP- and no one has measured the conductivity of QCP before.”
The study lays out the evidence of magnetic fields, preconditions for magnetic effects, and the existence of particles and matter. While the research is being conducted at the Brookhaven facility, it is funded by the DOE Office of Science, the U.S. National Science Foundation, and various international organizations and agencies.
This research repeatedly confirms that our world is fascinating, and several mysteries and discoveries are yet to be uncovered.