NASA’s Quantum Sensor Is Using Atoms To Measure Earth’s Gravity, Here’s How скачать в хорошем качестве

NASA’s Quantum Sensor Is Using Atoms To Measure Earth’s Gravity, Here’s How

The Earth’s gravitational pull isn’t uniform, as it varies from one place to another. So, scientists developed a new instrument to deliver the most accurate measurements yet. » Subscribe to Seeker!http://bit.ly/subscribeseeker » Watch more Elements! http://bit.ly/ElementsPlaylist Since 2000, scientists have used satellites to map the Earth’s gravitational field. But now they’ve developed a new instrument that uses quantum phenomena to deliver the most accurate measurements yet. The Earth’s gravitational pull varies from one place to another, and it can change over time. Gravity is directly related to mass and the Earth's mass is constantly shifting. Many factors contribute to the change in the Earth’s gravity but what is the biggest thing contributing to a change in Earth’s gravity? Water! Water covers most of the Earth and is constantly shifting around. Melting glaciers, water trapped underground, all these events redistribute the mass of water. So measuring the minute changes in the gravitational field is a way to track what Earth’s water is doing, and how the water cycle is being affected by climate change. Previous NASA missions like GRACE and its successor GRACE-Follow On used twin satellites to map the field. The principle was one satellite would follow the other, and as they passed through fluctuations in the gravitational field, they would get closer or farther apart. Measuring the change in distance would tell scientists how the gravity over that part of the world differed. But with the goal of even more accuracy, NASA teamed up with the company AOSense, Inc. to try an entirely different approach. The new prototype sensor uses roughly 100 million cesium atoms sealed in a vacuum near absolute zero. Learn more about this new and ingenious application of scientific principles to map the Earth’s gravity on this episode of Elements. #Earth #Gravity #Quantum #Physics #Seeker #Science #Elements Read More: Matter in Motion: Earth's Changing Gravity https://earthdata.nasa.gov/learn/sens... "'The Earth's gravity field changes from one month to the next mostly due to the mass of water moving around on the surface,' said Watkins. 'Because water in all its forms has mass and weight, we can actually weigh the ocean moving around.'" Scientists Watch Atoms Fall to See Earth's Changing Structure https://www.wired.com/story/scientist... "The quantum sensor, which NASA has developed with Bay Area-based company AOSense, relies on some 100 million cesium atoms. The device launches the atoms inside a cylindrical column and times how quickly they fall. As dictated by quantum mechanics, the atoms behave both like particles and waves." GRACE-FO Mission https://gracefo.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/... "GRACE-FO, which launched May 22, 2018, will continue the work of tracking Earth's water movement to monitor changes in underground water storage, the amount of water in large lakes and rivers, soil moisture, ice sheets and glaciers, and sea level caused by the addition of water to the ocean." ____________________ Elements is more than just a science show. It’s your science-loving best friend, tasked with keeping you updated and interested on all the compelling, innovative and groundbreaking science happening all around us. Join our passionate hosts as they help break down and present fascinating science, from quarks to quantum theory and beyond. Seeker empowers the curious to understand the science shaping our world. We tell award-winning stories about the natural forces and groundbreaking innovations that impact our lives, our planet, and our universe. Visit the Seeker website https://www.seeker.com/videos Elements on Facebook   / seekerelements   Subscribe now! http://www.youtube.com/subscription_c... Seeker on Twitter   / seeker   Seeker on Facebook   / seekermedia   Seeker http://www.seeker.com/