2023-08-07 15:27:17
This is a major feat for science, highlighting Morocco’s excellence in different fields. Moroccan scientist Kamal Oudrhiri is the mastermind behind this groundbreaking project. Under his direction, the American space agency (NASA) recently launched a spacecraft carrying the necessary equipment intended to modernize the “Cold Atom Lab”, the first quantum physics laboratory in space.
This laboratory, no bigger than a small refrigerator, is currently positioned on board the International Space Station. It is able to lower the temperature of atoms to a level close to absolute zero, thus paving the way for experiments in quantum physics carried out by dozens of researchers on Earth. Thanks to this new technology, they will be able to study the fundamental behaviors of the atoms and particles that make up the world around us.
Kamal Oudrhiri’s talent and expertise enabled this ambitious project to become a reality. His contribution marks a significant step in the advancement of space research and highlights Morocco’s scientific skills on an international scale. “We hope that Cold Atom Lab will mark the beginning of an era where quantum tools will be used regularly in space,” said Kamal Oudrhiri, project director for Cold Atom Lab, quoted in a NASA statement.
According to him, “Through Cold Atom Lab, we have shown that these delicate quantum tools are reliable and even scalable in space. We hope Cold Atom Lab will be just the first of many quantum space missions to come.”
Indeed, the field of quantum physics has played a crucial role in the development of many technologies essential to our daily lives. Fundamental discoveries in this field have enabled the creation of revolutionary technologies. These include lasers, transistors (which are key components of smartphones and computers), GPS satellites as well as medical devices.
Thanks to these advances, the modern world has seen dramatic progress in many areas.
Read also:
Jason Williams, a Cold Atom Lab project scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which manages the facility for NASA, said, “The experiments we’re doing at Cold Atom Lab will one day allow us to measure gravity with unprecedented precision, and it’s an extremely valuable tool to have in space.”
A better understanding of gravity is of crucial importance for scientists in precision space navigation.
Moreover, the use of quantum sensors in space missions might allow the study of cosmological mysteries such as dark matter and dark energy.
Dark matter, invisible but present throughout the universe, exerts a gravitational force that plays an essential role in the formation of cosmic structures, such as galaxies.
As for dark energy, an even more enigmatic phenomenon, it is responsible for the acceleration of the expansion of the universe. Its enigmatic behavior represents a daunting challenge for scientists, but the use of quantum sensors in space missions might provide crucial information to better understand this mysterious phenomenon and its impact on the dynamics of the universe.
The Cold Atom Lab, launched in 2018, plays a vital role in studying the quantum behaviors of atoms, according to information from NASA.
Its main advantage lies in its ability to cool atoms to temperatures extremely close to absolute zero. Previously, scientists had been conducting experiments on cold atoms on the ground for many years.
Read also:
However, on Earth, these atoms quickly fell to the ground due to the force of gravity, thus limiting the possibilities of in-depth studies. Thanks to the Cold Atom Lab, which is installed on board the International Space Station, researchers can now conduct experiments in a microgravity environment, offering new opportunities to study quantum physics at a microscopic level.
According to the same source, “inside the Cold Atom Lab, atoms float in weightlessness for longer periods of time, giving scientists more time to manipulate them and study their behavior and evolution.”
Upgrading the Cold Atom Lab will thus produce two to three times as many atoms for each experiment conducted inside the facility.
Scientists will gain more nuanced views of the behaviors of ultracold atoms, including their physical dynamics as they evolve and their interactions with each other.
Thanks to the increase in the number of atoms in the laboratory, the clouds of atoms have the possibility of cooling naturally as they expand. This means that the atoms can reach even colder temperatures before fully dispersing.
Recall that since its launch in 2014, Moroccan scientist Kamal Oudrhiri has overseen the project funded by the Biological and Physical Sciences Division (BPS) under NASA’s Science Mission Directorate.
1691424023
#Moroccan #talent #NASAs #Cold #Atom #Lab #project
