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This Is The Fastest Rotor Humans Have Ever Built, And It's Bending Our Understanding of Physics
Science Alert ^ | 24 JUL 2018 | DAVID NIELD

Posted on 07/26/2018 11:43:06 AM PDT by Heartlander

This Is The Fastest Rotor Humans Have Ever Built, And It's Bending Our Understanding of Physics

Mind-boggling.

Scientists have created a tiny rotor that rotates at speeds of up to 60 billion revolutions a minute – the fastest-spinning human-made rotor in history, and 100,000 times faster than your average dental drill.

The record-breaking invention not only pushes the boundaries of physics but could also be used to study some of the mysteries of quantum mechanics, and how objects operate in a vacuum.

We're actually dealing with some of the fundamentals of science here, like how gravity and friction work in a vacuum. Now that the nano-rotor is up and running, some detailed investigations can begin, according to the team of researchers.

"This study has many applications, including material science," says senior researcher Tongcang Li from Purdue University in Indiana. "We can study the extreme conditions different materials can survive in."

The super-spinner is made up of a silica nanoparticle, shaped like a dumbbell and levitated in a vacuum using a laser. The laser can be polarised in a straight line or in a circle, and its the circular mode that produces the rotations.

When the laser is straight, the dumbbell vibrates rather than rotating – which means it can consequently be used to measure very weak forces. Both modes of operation are going to be useful for future research.

The nanoparticle itself is only about the size of a bacterial particle, around 170 nanometres wide and 320 nanometres long, so you can't see it with the naked eye. But this is what the setup looks like:

quantum spinny 1(Purdue University photo/Vincent Walter)

"People say that there is nothing in vacuum, but in physics, we know it's not really empty," says Li.

"There are a lot of virtual particles which may stay for a short time and then disappear. We want to figure out what's really going on there, and that's why we want to make the most sensitive torsion balance."

quantum spinny 2Vibrate and spin modes. (Purdue University photo/Tongcang Li)

One of the advantages of getting a nanoparticle suspended and rotating in a vacuum like this is that very precise measurements can be made, unaffected by the standard variations in air flow and temperature.

And this team isn't the only one busy working on getting nanoparticles rotating in a vacuum: the potential discoveries further down the line are substantial.

As for quantum mechanics, it helps scientists explain the behaviour of the Universe at the very small and the really big scales – areas where the classical physics model as we know it starts to fall down.

Having such a tiny object to experiment on should give is a better understanding at how the building blocks of matter work at the tiniest scales.

In other words, you might be hearing a lot more about this nanoscale rotor in the future.

The research has been published in Physical Review Letters



TOPICS: Education; Science
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1 posted on 07/26/2018 11:43:06 AM PDT by Heartlander
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To: Heartlander

I thought dem brains were spinning this fast about 20 months ago.


2 posted on 07/26/2018 11:45:58 AM PDT by Waverunner (I'd like to welcome our new overlords, say hello to my little friend)
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To: Heartlander

100 years from now 2018 will look like 1492.


3 posted on 07/26/2018 11:46:45 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet (You cannot invade the mainland US. There'd be a rifle behind every blade of grass.)
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To: Heartlander

Bkmrk


4 posted on 07/26/2018 11:47:17 AM PDT by Covenantor (Men are ruled...by liars who refuse them news, and by fools who cannot govern. " Chesterton)
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To: Heartlander

The fastest rotor may help NASA find a warp field for propulsion....

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White%E2%80%93Juday_warp-field_interferometer


5 posted on 07/26/2018 11:48:00 AM PDT by fishtank (The denial of original sin is the root of liberalism.)
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To: Heartlander

They did not mention how the rotations were counted. If it is based upon the pulse rate of the laser while circular, it would seem that the rotation is limited to the lasers ability to pulse.


6 posted on 07/26/2018 11:49:07 AM PDT by rjsimmon (The Tree of Liberty Thirsts)
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To: Heartlander

I sometimes wonder if this stuff constitutes welfare spending for physics PhDs.


7 posted on 07/26/2018 11:49:43 AM PDT by Pelham (California, Mexico's socialist colony)
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To: Heartlander

“The Fastest Rotor Humans Have Ever Built”

“The super-spinner is made up of a silica nanoparticle, shaped like a dumbbell.....”

“The nanoparticle itself is only about the size of a bacterial particle, around 170 nanometres wide and 320 nanometres long...”

In other words, the helicopters would be VERY small.


8 posted on 07/26/2018 11:52:59 AM PDT by faucetman (Just the facts, ma'am, Just the facts)
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To: Heartlander

9 posted on 07/26/2018 11:54:04 AM PDT by DannyTN
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To: faucetman

but so, so fast.


10 posted on 07/26/2018 11:56:12 AM PDT by SpinnerWebb (Winter is coming)
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To: Heartlander
I can't wait until this makes it out into production but, then again, some eco nazi will probably shut it down.


11 posted on 07/26/2018 11:57:08 AM PDT by fruser1
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To: Heartlander
The MSM's need it for their spin machines.

12 posted on 07/26/2018 11:58:21 AM PDT by BitWielder1 (I'd rather have Unequal Wealth than Equal Poverty.)
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To: SpinnerWebb

Yeah, but can you put a confederate flag on the hood?


13 posted on 07/26/2018 11:59:45 AM PDT by blackdog
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To: Heartlander
I'm going to have to wait for Penny to explain this one to me.


14 posted on 07/26/2018 12:00:17 PM PDT by smokingfrog ( sleep with one eye open (<o> ---)
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To: DannyTN

See, we’ve got this tiny thing spinning at 60 billion rpm. No, you can’t see it, but it’s there, we promise. Now we just need a few $MM in grant money...


15 posted on 07/26/2018 12:00:21 PM PDT by bk1000 (I stand with Trump)
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To: rjsimmon
Not necessarily.

Think of a strobe. Perhaps it's only catching it synchronously.

Say it's going twice as fast, you're only seeing it once for every two rotations.

16 posted on 07/26/2018 12:02:55 PM PDT by Calvin Locke
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To: Heartlander

If the vacuum affects the rotor, it seems to me that the rotor is also affecting the vacuum (its virtual particles). Someone ought to be able to make some hay out of that.


17 posted on 07/26/2018 12:02:57 PM PDT by rightwingcrazy
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To: Heartlander

If I can’t fly with it and shoot laser beams out of my eyes it’s useless.


18 posted on 07/26/2018 12:03:00 PM PDT by Artemis Webb (Maxine Waters for House Minority Leader!!)
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To: bk1000

Yeah but the alternative is not to explore particle physics. And that’s where I think the real scientific breakthroughs in many fields is going to come from.


19 posted on 07/26/2018 12:04:34 PM PDT by DannyTN
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To: bk1000

Yeah but the alternative is not to explore particle physics. And that’s where I think the real scientific breakthroughs in many fields is going to come from.


20 posted on 07/26/2018 12:04:35 PM PDT by DannyTN
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