Light into matter

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Discussion

Pesty

Original Poster:

42,655 posts

257 months

Sunday 27th July 2014
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Imperial College London physicists have discovered how to create matter from light - a feat thought impossible when the idea was first theorised 80 years ago.

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2014-05-scientists-year-quest...

fido

16,820 posts

256 months

Wednesday 30th July 2014
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Have they actually done it?

IainT

10,040 posts

239 months

Thursday 7th August 2014
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fido said:
Have they actually done it?
Doesn't look like it - 'just' come up with an experimental design to test the theory.

Catatafish

1,361 posts

146 months

Saturday 9th August 2014
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This seems interesting at first but light turning into matter is hardly anything new. This should be hailed as two photon pair production rather than normal pair production which has been observed in labs for decades. Photons can turn into matter anytime if they have enough energy and momentum is conserved.

Simpo Two

85,603 posts

266 months

Saturday 9th August 2014
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I guess that to change photons (light) into protons (matter) you just need to change H into into P....


Hoofy

76,418 posts

283 months

Saturday 9th August 2014
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How difficult would it be to change hydrogen in to phosphorus, then?

TheEnd

15,370 posts

189 months

Saturday 9th August 2014
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Hoofy said:
How difficult would it be to change hydrogen in to phosphorus, then?
It's pretty easy, you just need to feed the Hydrogen into a star, and wait around for a bit.
Best to have an eggtimer ready, as you don't want to over cook it into Sulphur

Hoofy

76,418 posts

283 months

Saturday 9th August 2014
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TheEnd said:
Hoofy said:
How difficult would it be to change hydrogen in to phosphorus, then?
It's pretty easy, you just need to feed the Hydrogen into a star, and wait around for a bit.
Best to have an eggtimer ready, as you don't want to over cook it into Sulphur
What kind of star? Are we talking One Direction or Cliff Richard?

TheEnd

15,370 posts

189 months

Saturday 9th August 2014
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Just a minor star will do, like this guy



Hydrogen eventually becomes Argon and Selenium.

Hoofy

76,418 posts

283 months

Saturday 9th August 2014
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TheEnd said:
Just a minor star will do, like this guy



Hydrogen eventually becomes Argon and Selenium.
I have absolutely no idea who that is! H3.jpg? H? Steps?

TheEnd

15,370 posts

189 months

Saturday 9th August 2014
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Well, I did say it was a minor star...

Hoofy

76,418 posts

283 months

Saturday 9th August 2014
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biggrin