NASA’s Cold Atom Lab creates ultra-cold matter on space station
8 reported
NASA’s upgraded Cold Atom Lab is back in operation aboard the International Space Station, producing ultra-cold matter in microgravity for quantum research. The facility, about the size of a mini refrigerator and controlled remotely from Earth, cools atoms to temperatures below minus 459 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 237 degrees Celsius). At these temperatures, atoms can combine into a Bose-Einstein condensate, a fifth state of matter that follows quantum mechanics. The microgravity environment allows matter waves to become larger than they can on Earth. The latest upgrade, which arrived at the station on April 11, includes a redesigned magnetic trap and new metal atom sources. The facility currently supports five international research teams studying fundamental physics and testing quantum instruments for future space missions.
What’s reported
The Cold Atom Lab is aboard the International Space Station and is controlled remotely from Earth.
It cools atoms to below minus 459 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 237 degrees Celsius).
At these temperatures, atoms can form a Bose-Einstein condensate, considered a fifth state of matter.
The latest upgrade arrived at the space station on April 11 via a Commercial Resupply Services mission.
The upgrade includes a redesigned magnetic trap and new metal atom sources.
The facility supports five international research teams studying fundamental physics.
The Cold Atom Lab was installed on the International Space Station in 2018.
The facility is managed by Caltech and built and operated by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Key figures
Jason Williams, project scientist for Cold Atom Lab at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Ethan Elliott, deputy project scientist for Cold Atom Lab at JPL
Kamal Oudrhiri, project manager of Cold Atom Lab at JPL
Sources: ScienceDaily
