6 ms·

Japanese scientists photograph hydrogen atom for first time

51 points by geoka9 16y ago

_grrr 16y ago
Was anyone else expecting to see the photo on that page?
- _grrr 16y ago
  Here it is... http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20101105a1.html http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20101105a1.html
  - skbohra123 16y ago
    where? that thumbnail?
- deleted 16y ago
  [deleted]
- w1ntermute 16y ago
  What photo? The one I see looks right to me.
  - w-ll 16y ago
    http://www.japantimes.co.jp/images/photos2010/nn20101105a1a.jpg http://www.japantimes.co.jp/images/photos2010/nn20101105a1a.... They know the structure of vanadium hydride, and have identified those mid-grays to be hydrogen
    - w1ntermute 16y ago
      Yeah, I was confused because _grrr's post made it sound like that photo was unexpected.
      - _grrr 16y ago
        My bad, sorry.
  - _grrr 16y ago
    OK, that's weird, when I first visited the OPs link I could swear it was to a page on the Telegraph newspapers website that had no image (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/japan/8109291/Japanese-scientists-photograph-hydrogen-atom-for-first-time.html http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/japan/8109291...) clearly now though it's not. Maybe I got my browser tabs confused.... apologies for starting this pointless thread!
    - geoka9 16y ago
      Spooky. My original post did link to the Telegraph website (which had no image). I have no idea why and how it got updated to link to japanesetimes.co.jp, which has that picture. Maybe some HN AI magic? :)
      - _grrr 16y ago
        Aha - I am still sane after all. Yes, I'd like to know how it got updated too, is Arc that smart?!
        w1ntermute 16y ago
        I think a mod did it.
- brianbreslin 16y ago
  I did expect to see something, but honestly it could have been a smudge n the "lens" and I wouldn't have known any better
  - deleted 16y ago
    [deleted]
gaoshan 16y ago
I'm fascinated by how precisely arranged the atoms are. Not surprised per se, I just think it is so neat to see the precise structure of something at such a minute level of detail. Now I want to see what it looks like even lower down the scale!
danparsonson 16y ago
It may seem pedantic, but it's not actually a "photograph" since it was taken using an electron beam - from Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photograph http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photograph): A photograph (often shortened to photo) is an image created by light falling on a light-sensitive surface The clue is in the name - photo-graph, as in 'photon'. It's an important distinction, as electron microscopy offers much greater resolution than optical microscopy, due to the difference in wavelength between an electron and a photon of the same energy (http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/quantum/debrog2.html http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/quantum/debrog2.h...). It's generally better to stick with the headline when posting news articles ("Research team takes image of hydrogen atom" in this case). Very interesting article though!
- danparsonson 16y ago
  I've just noticed that the Telegraph article linked elsewhere in this post has that exact headline, so I guess it's the staff at the Telegraph who need a physics lesson! Presumably the OP updated the link after the initial post.
- hugh3 16y ago
  Also while I'm sure it's the first something it's certainly not the first imaging of an individual hydrogen atom; we were "imaging" single hydrogen atoms on various surfaces with scanning tunneling microscopy at least a decade ago. Possibly this is the first time it's been done with SEM though.

51 points by geoka9 16y ago

_grrr 16y ago

Was anyone else expecting to see the photo on that page?

_grrr 16y ago
Here it is... http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20101105a1.html http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20101105a1.html
- skbohra123 16y ago
  where? that thumbnail?
deleted 16y ago
[deleted]
w1ntermute 16y ago
What photo? The one I see looks right to me.
- w-ll 16y ago
  http://www.japantimes.co.jp/images/photos2010/nn20101105a1a.jpg http://www.japantimes.co.jp/images/photos2010/nn20101105a1a.... They know the structure of vanadium hydride, and have identified those mid-grays to be hydrogen
  - w1ntermute 16y ago
    Yeah, I was confused because _grrr's post made it sound like that photo was unexpected.
    - _grrr 16y ago
      My bad, sorry.
- _grrr 16y ago
  OK, that's weird, when I first visited the OPs link I could swear it was to a page on the Telegraph newspapers website that had no image (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/japan/8109291/Japanese-scientists-photograph-hydrogen-atom-for-first-time.html http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/japan/8109291...) clearly now though it's not. Maybe I got my browser tabs confused.... apologies for starting this pointless thread!
  - geoka9 16y ago
    Spooky. My original post did link to the Telegraph website (which had no image). I have no idea why and how it got updated to link to japanesetimes.co.jp, which has that picture. Maybe some HN AI magic? :)
    - _grrr 16y ago
      Aha - I am still sane after all. Yes, I'd like to know how it got updated too, is Arc that smart?!
      - w1ntermute 16y ago
        I think a mod did it.
brianbreslin 16y ago
I did expect to see something, but honestly it could have been a smudge n the "lens" and I wouldn't have known any better
- deleted 16y ago
  [deleted]

gaoshan 16y ago

I'm fascinated by how precisely arranged the atoms are. Not surprised per se, I just think it is so neat to see the precise structure of something at such a minute level of detail. Now I want to see what it looks like even lower down the scale!

danparsonson 16y ago

It may seem pedantic, but it's not actually a "photograph" since it was taken using an electron beam - from Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photograph http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photograph): A photograph (often shortened to photo) is an image created by light falling on a light-sensitive surface The clue is in the name - photo-graph, as in 'photon'. It's an important distinction, as electron microscopy offers much greater resolution than optical microscopy, due to the difference in wavelength between an electron and a photon of the same energy (http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/quantum/debrog2.html http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/quantum/debrog2.h...). It's generally better to stick with the headline when posting news articles ("Research team takes image of hydrogen atom" in this case). Very interesting article though!

danparsonson 16y ago
I've just noticed that the Telegraph article linked elsewhere in this post has that exact headline, so I guess it's the staff at the Telegraph who need a physics lesson! Presumably the OP updated the link after the initial post.
hugh3 16y ago
Also while I'm sure it's the first something it's certainly not the first imaging of an individual hydrogen atom; we were "imaging" single hydrogen atoms on various surfaces with scanning tunneling microscopy at least a decade ago. Possibly this is the first time it's been done with SEM though.