First measurement of entangled states in nitrogen

User rating: 4.5 / 5 after 28 vote(s)

What was the initial location of the electron before it was ejected from the dumbbell-shaped nitrogen molecule by a high-energy photon (blue) The diagram shows the probability distribution of the photo-electron in the case of its prior localization ( ...
What was the initial location of the electron before it was ejected from the dumbbell-shaped nitrogen molecule by a high-energy photon (blue)? The diagram shows the probability distribution of the photo-electron in the case of its prior localization (left), or for the Auger electron (right). As both electrons form an entangled state, the Auger electron is also localized. Credit: Markus Schoeffler

When atoms form molecules, they share their outer electrons and this creates a negatively charged cloud. Here, electrons buzz around between the two positively charged nuclei, making it impossible to tell which nucleus they belong to. They are delocalized. But is this also true for the electrons located closer to the nucleus?


Full story »

All News summaries from Physics news
All News summaries for May 15, 2008