DIPC10: "wild" molecules, passion for precision and prediction of the future "golden age"

2010/09/30 Aulestiarte Lete, Izaro - Elhuyar Zientziaren Komunikazioa

• Fisika
• Kimika

Dudley Herschbach (San Jose, California, 1932) humorously began his speech. Due to small technical problems with the transparencies prepared for the presentation, he soon made the relationship between the "vibration" of the screen of the room and its topic of speech. This was the journey made during this century to reveal the deepest dynamics of each clash between "wild" molecules. It was he who in his youth aroused the passion of the chemist.

Yuan T. Together with Lee, Herschbach was one of the first scientists to use the molecular beam technique in chemical research. He not only recalled the contributions of the chemists he has accompanied, but, for example, compared the lack of tools that existed in the beginning with the current situation. "The achievements came slowly but arrived. And fortunately today we can see chemical reactions in much more detail." Supersonic range, spectroscopic techniques with special use of the laser and very sensitive current perception methods, among others. He presented some common cases and practical examples and ended his intervention pointing to the challenges facing the future.

Theodor Hänsch (Heilderberg, Germany, 1941) devoted himself to precision. "A professor told me to look where no one else had looked. And I am fortunate because I realized that the laser gave me the opportunity," he explained. In 1970 Hänsch invented a type of laser that produces very high resolution light pulses. And in the late 90's he also participated in the creation of a new method to more accurately measure the frequency of laser light, using a device called optical frequency comb generator.

He explained that his main motivation throughout his career has been curiosity and showed his satisfaction with his achievements. He explained, for example, that laser combs are radically changing molecular spectroscopy, "and they are used in laboratories around the world with various applications." If used to calibrate astronomical spectrographs, for example, he also said it allows to search for planets in distant solar systems.

Frank Wilczek (Mineola, New York, 1951) spoke about the LHC accelerator. With many jokes, he stressed with conviction that basic physics is prepared to take great steps in the coming years, and to achieve this LHC is "a really brilliant tool". He described the tool as a physical object and as an engineering project.

Recalling the various golden epochs that have existed so far in physics, Wilcz believes that the new era of the future can come thanks to the LHC. In his opinion, precisely, it will allow us to check whether the ideas that appear in the fundamental laws of physics adequately describe reality. His was a multimedia presentation in which the scientist demonstrated a great capacity for dissemination and communication.