Nobel Prize in Physics awarded to British trio for study of exotic matter

Three British physicists working at US universities have won the Nobel Prize in Physics for revealing the secrets of exotic matter.

First... What is exotic matter?

In physics, exotic matter is matter that somehow deviates from normal matter and has "exotic" properties. A more broad definition of exotic matter is any kind of non-baryonic matter—that is not made of baryons, the subatomic particles, such as protons and neutrons, of which ordinary matter is composed.[1] Exotic mass has been considered a colloquial term for matters such as dark matter, negative mass, or imaginary mass. However, exotic mass may exist, because it could support the Schwarzschild black hole theory by being used to stabilize the blackhole/wormhole counterpart.

en.wikipedia.org...

One half awarded to David Thouless of the University of Washington, and the other half jointly to Duncan Haldane of Princeton University and Michael Kosterlitz of Brown University. "This year's laureates opened the door on an unknown world where matter can assume strange states,"


(CNN)Three British physicists working at US universities have won the Nobel Prize in Physics for revealing the secrets of exotic matter.

The 8 million Swedish Krona prize (more than US $931,000) was divided between the three laureates according to their contributions -- one half awarded to David Thouless of the University of Washington, and the other half jointly to Duncan Haldane of Princeton University and Michael Kosterlitz of Brown University.
"This year's laureates opened the door on an unknown world where matter can assume strange states," said the Nobel Foundation in a statement Tuesday.
"They have used advanced mathematical methods to study unusual phases, or states, of matter, such as superconductors, superfluids or thin magnetic films"

In the early 1970s, Kosterlitz and Thouless overturned the then-current theory that superconductivity could not occur in extremely thin layers.
"They demonstrated that superconductivity could occur at low temperatures and also explained the mechanism -- phase transition -- that makes superconductivity disappear at higher temperatures," explained the Foundation.
Around a decade later, Haldane also studied matter that forms threads so thin they can be considered one-dimensional.
A member of the Nobel committee explained the process in a video, using a cinnamon bun, a bagel and a pretzel:

www.cnn.com...


Also ......from www.nobelprize.org...

This year’s Laureates opened the door on an unknown world where matter can assume strange states. They have used advanced mathematical methods to study unusual phases, or states, of matter, such as superconductors, superfluids or thin magnetic films. Thanks to their pioneering work, the hunt is now on for new and exotic phases of matter. Many people are hopeful of future applications in both materials science and electronics.

Here is what TIME had to say.. much more beef here and I like it!!


"Strange materials with strange behaviors may transform science and engineering"

Topology has real-world applications in mathematics, robotics, computer programming and even biology, with scientists wanting to learn more about the different ways DNA folds, twists and knots. The business with the coffee, steam and ice involves the far more basic idea of phase changes. There are a handful of types of chemical phase changes beyond freezing and boiling—as when a glowing plasma loses its electrical energy and eases back down to become an ordinary gas again (recombination), or when a gas settles onto a surface to form a solid layer (deposition). Much basic chemistry is driven by phase changes, and similar patterns play out in the real world. Traffic moving more and more slowly until it freezes into pure gridlock can be looked at as a form of phase change; so too can an orderly house of cards—or even an actual house—that grows increasingly unstable until it collapses into an entropic pile. The more we know about all of these transitions the better we can control and manipulate them.

The article goes on to say the three new Laureates did that they "extend topology and phase changes to the fields of superconductivity and superfluidity."

Superconductivity, as its name suggests, occurs when a material becomes so highly conductive that electricity moves through it with zero resistance. Superfluidity is a similar state that is achieved when liquids flow with no viscosity at all, meaning no loss of kinetic energy as they move. (Picture ketchup becoming as runny as water, and water then becoming runnier still until it is effectively moving without friction.) Thouless, Haldane and Kosterlitz found that at different energy levels or at supercold temperatures, topological phase transitions can occur in thin films of matter, causing tight pairs of vortices that spin in close proximity to separate—a little like a catamaran separating into two free-floating boats—and that has superconductive and superfluid implications. That doesn’t quite upend existing topology—as it would if a second or third hole appeared out of nowhere. But in terms of the behavior of the material it’s close, as illustrations (above) released by the Nobel Committee reveal. The prize-winners also showed that these changes happen in predictable integers or steps, like the thermometer falling a degree at a time until it reaches 32º F or 0º C and water freezes.

time.com...

a reply to: MamaJ

Superconductivity is a wonderful field! Currently, you can study the physics aspect as well as the materials aspect. The math gets pretty tough. The materials guys are creating hundreds of formulas then checking what happens. Most of it is predicted by the theory. That has lead them to think that room temperature superconductors are a real possibility.

Pretty good job winning a Nobel! This line of work is very important as the world's demand for energy increases. Hope they discover room temperature superconductors in theory! The material scientists will then make it a reality!

This post was a tease!! I was expecting all sorts of pics

I feel like Otto(the bus driver in the Simpsons) when he went into the kitchen store called stoner's pot place

a reply to: thinline

What kind of pics? lol Pictures of the guys or the imaginary.

Sorry you were disappointed.. thought it was cool and not the same ole political babble.

a reply to: TEOTWAWKIAIFF

I'm really excited about it. The name itself is enough to get my attention.

From what I have learned which isn't much, it was a long time coming for these guys.

I want to hear of particles discovered going faster than the speed of light.

We need a new era of discoveries.

Congratulations are in order for these great contributors to science.

Now to run off and try to wrap my head around what they discovered.

a reply to: projectvxn

I want to know if this discovery could lead to the change of the scientific method. Like... is this possible with the discovery of imaginary mass? Wouldn't that go against GR?

Im still trying to wrap my head around it all too. lol

originally posted by: MamaJ
a reply to: projectvxn

I want to know if this discovery could lead to the change of the scientific method.

...what makes you think that this would change the scientific method? It was discovered using the scientific method.

originally posted by: thinline
This post was a tease!! I was expecting all sorts of pics

I feel like Otto(the bus driver in the Simpsons) when he went into the kitchen store called stoner's pot place

Were you hoping for an actual picture of exotic matter?

a reply to: GetHyped

While I understand it was discovered using the method, I am asking if it's limitations will cause quantum physics to change the method over time when proving other dimensions, imaginary mass, and so on. The Quantum world is mind boggling and I may sound stupid to others for asking... but ... I'm still asking regardless of my knowledge being naive at best.

There are some points where quantum physics may run into methodological difficulties in terms of the scientific method. Since the scientific method depends on controlled observation, quantum effects that are themselves dependent upon the process of observation cant shed light on the unobserved behavior. So.. if observing a particle has an effect on that particle, there is no way for us to know what the particle is like in its unobserved state.

a reply to: MamaJ

I'm really not following your logic. The scientific method is more than adequate for exploring the quantum world. There really isn't anything to suggest otherwise.

a reply to: GetHyped

I'm sorry. Maybe it is my lack of knowledge in this field however I made myself clear about the "Unobserved state".

Maybe this link will help you understand where Im coming from. science.howstuffworks.com...

It' a long read....

But is it possible that quantum systems can't be understood within the traditional models of science? In this article, we'll look at what quantum suicide reveals about our universe, as well as other theories that either support or contradict it. But first, why can't a physicist simply measure the particles he's attempting to study? In the next section, we'll learn about this fundamental flaw of quantum observation, as explained by Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle.

a reply to: MamaJ

Traditional models. Not the method itself. When new data comes forth, models are either changed or discarded in favor of better ones. The models are just that: models. They are not and never will be reality itself. They're just useful abstractions for making accurate predictions.

originally posted by: MamaJ
a reply to: GetHyped

I'm sorry. Maybe it is my lack of knowledge in this field however I made myself clear about the "Unobserved state".

Maybe this link will help you understand where Im coming from. science.howstuffworks.com...

It' a long read....

But is it possible that quantum systems can't be understood within the traditional models of science? In this article, we'll look at what quantum suicide reveals about our universe, as well as other theories that either support or contradict it. But first, why can't a physicist simply measure the particles he's attempting to study? In the next section, we'll learn about this fundamental flaw of quantum observation, as explained by Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle.

Gethyped nailed it. The scientific method is not under review here.

The reason quantum systems cannot be understood within the traditional models of science is that the only model we have is Quantum Mechanics, which expressly states that the behavior of particles at this level of granularity is black box.

A quantum theory of gravity, such as string theory, could change all that. The discovery of exotic matter would not necessarily change it in and of itself, unless it led to a quantum theory of gravity.

a reply to: MamaJ

Science is a method of investigation.

It's tenets have been around for thousands of years, unchanged, leading us to the world we live in today.

It will not change the method.

a reply to: Greggers

Oh..ok.

So Let me see if I understand this.

The scientific method is such whereas it can be altered with a different method?

ETA: If the above is correct then how do you experiment with an object you cannot see or detect with tools we currently have to experiment with.

Im really just trying to understand all this better.

originally posted by: MamaJ
a reply to: Greggers

Oh..ok.

So Let me see if I understand this.

The scientific method is such whereas it can be altered with a different method? In other words the scientific method can be altered?

That's not what I was saying.

What I intended to convey was that this topic does not suggest any necessary change to the scientific method.

Do you know what the scientific method IS?

Do you know what a scientific model IS?

Do you know the difference?

a reply to: Greggers

My thinking is this... When dealing with exotic matter does this not open up a new world of the unseen even more?

originally posted by: MamaJ
a reply to: Greggers

My thinking is this... When dealing with exotic matter does this not open up a new world of the unseen even more?

Yes.

Could you answer the questions I posed to you?