Electron in an Atom (IMAGE)
Caption
In this artist's representation, an electron orbits an atom's nucleus, spinning about its axis as a cloud of other subatomic particles are constantly emitted and reabsorbed. Some theories in particle physics predict particles, as yet undetected, that would cause the cloud to appear very slightly pear-shaped when seen from a distance. With the support of the National Science Foundation, ACME researchers created an experimental setup look at that shape with extreme precision. To the limits of their experiment, they saw a perfectly round sphere, implying that certain types of new particles, if they exist at all, have properties different from those theorists expected.
Credit
Nicolle R. Fuller, NSF
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