An Atom Just As You Would Imagine It

摘要

Think of an atom, and chances are you'll picture something that looks like a tiny solar system. You'd be wrong, but never fear: researchers have engineered an atom that looks just like you think it should.rnWhen the atomic nucleus was discovered a century ago, the solar system analogy was obvious. The nucleus's mass and charge would force electrons to circle it, just as the sun's gravity holds orbitingrnplanets. But quantum mechanics pooped the party, maintaining that electrons would smear out over large areas of space.