Context:
The 2023 Nobel Prize in Physics was jointly awarded to three scientists, Pierre Agostini, Ferenc Krausz, and Anne L’Huillier, for their “experimental methods that generate attosecond pulses for the study of electron dynamics in matter.”
More about the news:
- Honored for their experiments that have provided humanity with innovative tools to investigate the realm of electrons within atoms and molecules.
- L’Huillier is just the 5th woman to win the Nobel Prize in Physics.
- Through their experiments, the laureates were able to observe incredibly brief events lasting only a few tenths of an attosecond—a duration equivalent to one quintillionth (10-18) of a second.
An attosecond is so minuscule that there are as many attoseconds in one second as there have been seconds since the birth of the universe.
- These brief pulses of light can be utilized to capture images of the processes happening inside atoms and molecules.
Applications of attosecond physics:
- To explore short-lived atomic and molecular processes – implications in fields like materials science, electronics, and catalysis.
- For medical diagnostics – to check for the presence of certain molecules based on their fleeting signatures.
- To develop faster electronic devices, and better telecommunications, imaging, and spectroscopy.
Read about the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2023 – mRNA vaccines
Source: The Hindu
Previous year question
“3D printing” has applications in which of the following?
1. Preparation of confectionery items
2. Manufacture of bionic ears
3. Automotive industry
4. Reconstructive surgeries
5. Data processing technologies
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
[UPSC Civil Services Exam – 2018 Prelims]
(a) 1, 3 and 4 only
(b) 2, 3 and 5 only
(c) 1 and 4 only
(d) 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5
Answer: (d)
