How quantum fog tests the laws of gravity ⚡ экспресс
Scientists studied how a tiny cloud of ultracold atoms behaves in different gravitational traps. It turns out that in a field resembling modified gravity (as in some dark matter theories), the cloud swells up a lot and vibrates more slowly than in a regular field. It's like comparing a spring in a dense medium versus a sparse one. Could this help unravel the mysteries of the Universe?
An ultracold atomic cloud, resembling fog, hints that gravity might not work as Newton said. On the outskirts of galaxies stars move faster than expected, and MOND theory tweaks the law of gravitation over large distances, removing the need for dark matter. When such a fog was placed in a MOND trap, it puffed up more and wobbled slower. A simple pattern emerged: if the repulsion between atoms increases 8-fold, the cloud's size grows only twofold (cube root). The oscillation frequency drops similarly. In a Newtonian trap, there's no such clear pattern. The lab fog unexpectedly became a mini proving ground for testing the standard model of cosmology. Turns out, to study galaxies, you don't need a telescope — just a droplet on a table.
🎯 The temperature of such a fog is one of the lowest in the Universe: billions of times colder than deep space.