Scientists from UNSW Sydney and the University of Cambridge have used novel methods to listen to the sounds of atoms moving under pressure – a phenomenon known as ‘crackling noise’.
These atomic movements occur in avalanches – they are similar to snow avalanches, but made of atoms – and follow very well-defined statistical rules.
Crackling noise can be observed every day, from crumpling paper and candy wrapping, to the crackling of your cereal, as well as in natural occurrences, such as earthquakes.
In a study recently published in Nature Communications, Professor Jan Seidel and his lab, from the School of Material Science and Engineering, were able to record the crackling noise of just a few hundred atoms, in experiments that lasted over eight hours.
The study of crackling noise not only has wide implications across fundamental research fields, but also has a range of practical applications.
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