Surprising Behavior of Hydrogen Revealed Under High Pressure
Hydrogen, the fundamental element that shapes the cosmos, stars, and planets while also playing a pivotal role in sustainable energy solutions on Earth, continues to mystify scientists. Despite its seemingly uncomplicated structure, with just one electron and one proton in a hydrogen atom, many of its properties remain enigmatic.
The Unexpected “Roton-like Behavior”
A collaborative research team from Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel (CAU) and Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) has uncovered a surprising characteristic of hydrogen when subjected to extreme pressure: it exhibits an unusual “roton-like behavior.” This phenomenon becomes apparent in the unique scattering of X-ray light by densely compressed hydrogen.
In this intriguing behavior, X-ray photons transfer energy to electrons, with the transferred energy increasing as the momentum transfer grows. However, the energy can decrease in dense hydrogen despite increasing momentum transfer—a puzzling revelation.
These findings have been published in the latest edition of the journal Physical Review Research and have garnered the attention of the editors as an editor’ Suggestion.
A Rarity in Nature
Previously, such behavior had only been observed in entirely different systems, like exotic Bose fluids near absolute zero temperature. These superfluid liquids exhibit quantum effects and defy classical statistical mechanics.
Professor Michael Bonitz of the Institute for Theoretical Physics and Astrophysics at CAU, who led the Kiel research team, attributes this unique hydrogen property to the electrons not confined within atoms.
Electrons Defying Repulsion
Dr. Tobias Dornheim from HZDR explains the astonishing behavior of electrons in hydrogen: “When irradiated with X-ray photons of specific wavelengths, electrons can approach each other unusually closely and even form pairs, despite their natural repulsion.”
Through meticulous computer simulations, the research team has outlined precise conditions under which this roton behavior should manifest. The task lies with experimental physicists to validate these predictions in practice.
Read the original article on PHYS.
Read more: Quantum Breakthrough: First-Ever Achievement of a Laughlin State.
