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Encyclopedia > Superatoms

Superatoms are clusters of atoms which seem to exhibit some of the properties of elemental atoms. Properties For alternative meanings see atom (disambiguation). ...


Sodium atoms when left to condense in clusters from vapour naturally form into clusters of 8, 20, 40, 58 or 92 atoms. The first of these can be recognised as the number of electrons in filled s and p orbitals. The suggestion is that free electrons in the cluster form atomic like structure (larger numbers show deviations from the number of electrons in a shell as the potential is not central). General Name, Symbol, Number sodium, Na, 11 Series alkali metal Group, Period, Block 1 (IA), 3, s Density, Hardness 968 kg/m3, 0. ... Vapor (US English) or vapour (British English) is the gaseous state of matter. ... An orbital (also electron orbital) is the description of the behavior of an electron in an atom or molecule according to quantum mechanics. ...


Clusters of 13 aluminium atoms with an extra electron added appear not to react with oxygen. Assuming each atom liberates its 3 valence electrons, this means that there are 40 electrons present, which is one of the magic numbers noted for sodium, and implies that these numbers are a reflection of the noble gases. General Name, Symbol, Number aluminium, Al, 13 Chemical series poor metals Group, Period, Block 13 (IIIA), 3, p Density, Hardness 2700 kg/m3, 2. ... General Name, Symbol, Number Oxygen, O, 8 Chemical series nonmetals Group, Period, Block 16 (VIA), 2, p Density, Hardness 1. ... The noble gases are a chemical series. ...


Similarly it has been noted that clusters with one greater or fewer than the magic numbers appear to exhibit the properties of an alkali metal or halogen respectively. The alkali metals are a chemical series. ... The halogens are a chemical series. ...


See also

A Bose-Einstein condensate is a gaseous superfluid phase formed by atoms cooled to temperatures very near to absolute zero. ... In nuclear physics, a magic number is a number of nucleons such that they are arranged into complete shells within the atomic nucleus. ...

References


  Results from FactBites:
 
Superatom - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (449 words)
Superatoms are clusters of atoms which seem to exhibit some of the properties of elemental atoms.
Sodium atoms when left to condense in clusters from vapour naturally form into clusters of 8, 20, 40, 58 or 92 atoms (the magic numbers).
  Al Cluster Superatoms as Halogens in Polyhalides and as Alkaline Earths in Iodide Salts D. Bergeron, P. Roach, A.W. Castleman Jr., N.O. Jones, S. Khanna Science, Vol 307, Issue 5707, 231-235, 14 January 2005 Abstract MS spectrum
Lab Notes (1457 words)
The superatom was first proposed by Albert Einstein in the 1920s, when the quantum-mechanical rule known as Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle made it clear that the universe, for bizarre reasons of its own, would not let both the position and the momentum of a particle be defined precisely.
The largest superatoms to date are half a millimeter in size (with maybe a billion atoms inside them), and there's no particular reason they couldn't be made larger or shaped into human form, although at the moment we have neither the need nor the equipment to do so.
Superatoms can also be squirted out in streams, which are known as "atom lasers." These streams travel a lot more slowly than light beams, and droop with gravity like the spray from a fire hose.
  More results at FactBites »


 

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