Melting atoms from near
2005/09/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria
There is no way to know exactly how a solid melts as it increases its temperature. Not at least on the scale of the atom. However, now, some American physicists have devised a way to simulate this process and see how atoms act within the solid.
The key is to simulate atoms through other structures that can be studied. Physicists have used spherical particles formed by colloids. Their behavior with the temperature is very peculiar, since when they cool, they increase, causing them to accumulate together forming a crystalline structure, while when heated they decrease, starting the fusion process. All this can be seen using an optical microscope.
In fact, physicists have seen the process and found a hopeful explanation: within the solid, the areas in which the crystal presents defects or dislocations begin to merge first, that is, those in which the spheres are poorly stored. For physicists the same happens with the atoms of a solid.
