Send us your "Who Knew?"

Submit your idea for Rice's "Who Knew?" campaign, and who knows where you might see it next? You can send a fully developed "Who Knew?" ad or just an idea. go now »

Page Tools

Normal font size »
Large font size »

Who knew excited atoms can make like Mars?

Back in 1913, Danish physicist Niels Bohr suggested that electrons in an atom travel in orbits around the nucleus much like planets in our solar system orbit the sun. Although the discovery earned Bohr a Nobel prize, modern science has replaced his notion with the theories of quantum mechanics — which found that electrons don’t have precise orbits but are instead distributed in wave-like patterns. However, a Rice-led team of physicists has created an atom that would make Bohr proud. “Using highly excited Rydberg atoms and a series of pulsed electric fields, we were able to manipulate the electron motion and create circular, planet-like states,” said Rice Professor Barry Dunning. This feat of physics could contribute to the next generation of high-performing computers, among other things. Indeed, giant Rydberg atoms — which can approach almost one millimeter across — could make waves proportionate to their size. Call it Bohr’s revenge.