Size of helium nucleus measured more precisely than ever before
Both Franz Kottmann (left) and Karsten Schuhmann did essential preparatory work for the crucial experiment. Credit: Paul Scherrer Institute/Markus Fischer In experiments at the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI, an international research collaboration has measured the radius of the atomic nucleus of helium five times more precisely than ever before. With the aid of the new […]
The shortest event ever timed has been measured in zeptoseconds
The time it takes for a single particle of light to pass through a hydrogen molecule is now the shortest duration ever measured. This interval was about 247 zeptoseconds, or trillionths of a billionth of a second, researchers report in the Oct. 16 Science. For comparison, there are as many zeptoseconds in one second as […]
Meet the zeptosecond, the shortest unit of time ever measured
Scientists have measured the shortest unit of time ever: the time it takes a light particle to cross a hydrogen molecule. That time, for the record, is 247 zeptoseconds. A zeptosecond is a trillionth of a billionth of a second, or a decimal point followed by 21 zeroes and a 1. Previously, researchers had dipped […]
