New Electron Microscope Shows Atoms in Color

Cornell's Duffield Hall has acquired a new electron microscope that is enabling scientists to see individual atoms in color for the very first time. While old electron microscopes can be compared to black and white cameras, this new scanning transmission electron microscope uses a new aberration-correction technology that is both more intense and allows for faster imaging speed. "The method also can show how atoms are bonded to one another in a crystal, because the bonding creates small shifts in the energy signatures. In earlier STEMs, many electrons from the beam, including those with changed energies, were scattered at wide angles by simple collisions with atoms. The new STEM includes magnetic lenses that collect emerging electrons over a wider angle. Previously, Silcox said, about 8 percent of the emerging electrons were collected, but the new detector collects about 80 percent, allowing more accurate readings of the small changes in energy levels that reveal bonding between atoms."

Proof at last...

[pushing-robot]

So we'll finally know for certain that carbon is black, oxygen is red, nitrogen is blue, and hydrogen atoms really are white.

Re:Schrodinger's Fridge

[sconeu]

But do we know if Schroedinger has milk in his Fridge without looking?

Re:Schrodinger's Fridge

[Anonymous Coward]

Let's hope he has milk. Otherwise his poor cat would starve to death.

Re:Not color, false color.

[Spudtrooper]

Ted Turner, eat your heart out.

Re:This thread is useless without pics!

[pushing-robot]

Picture here. [msu.edu]

Re:Proof at last...

[Actually, I do RTFA]

hydrogen atoms really are white.

So that is why the Hindenburg didn't use Helium.

Re:Atoms don't have color!

[Jesus_666]

They just use smaller light, duh!

Screenshot

[peterpi]

Screenshot:

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