Source #1
https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?release=2017-058Source #2
http://www.livescience.com/58188-coldest-spot-in-universe-on-space-station.htmlQuote (NASA)
Artist's illustration of an atom chip for use by NASA's Cold Atom Laboratory (CAL), which will use lasers to cool atoms to ultracold temperatures. CAL is scheduled to launch to the space station in August 2017.
Quote (Source)
Space Station to Host Coldest Spot in the Universe
Artist's illustration of an atom chip for use by NASA's Cold Atom Laboratory (CAL), which will use lasers to cool atoms to ultracold temperatures. CAL is scheduled to launch to the space station in August 2017.
Credit: NASA
The International Space Station (ISS) will soon host the coldest spot in the entire universe, if everything goes according to plan.
This August, NASA plans to launch to the ISS an experiment that will freeze atoms to only 1 billionth of a degree above absolute zero — more than 100 million times colder than the far reaches of deep space, agency officials said.
The instrument suite, which is about the size of an ice chest, is called the Cold Atom Laboratory (CAL). It consists of lasers, a vacuum chamber and an electromagnetic "knife" that together will slow down gas particles until they are almost motionless. (Remember that temperature is just a measurement of how fast atoms and molecules are moving.)
Quote (Source)
The researchers hope CAL observations will lead to the improvement of several technologies, such as quantum computers, atomic clocks for spacecraft navigation and sensors of various types — including some that could help detect dark energy. The current model of the universe suggests we can only see about 5 percent of what's out there. The remainder is split between dark matter (27 percent) and dark energy (68 percent).
We were blind, but now we see!
Beware dark matter, we are coming for you!
This post was edited by Ep0ch on Mar 9 2017 05:34pm