What do you think happens when molecules are superchilled to near absolute zero temperature? Well, that seems to be the question in everyone's mind after physicists chilled molecules to a temperature colder than Big Bang's afterglow.

In the past, research studies conducted on molecules chilled in low temperatures usually resulted to unusual and never-before-seen scientific and physical phenomena. Now, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) researchers have managed to chill molecules to almost absolute zero temperature in order to pave the way to new and exciting discoveries about the study of Physics and the exotic states of matter.

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At ordinary temperatures, molecules usually move at superfast speeds; they are even colliding with each other in frenzied fashion. However, once placed in a very low temperature, molecules come to a complete stop, Daily Times Gazette has learned.  

In the MIT experiment spearheaded by physicist Martin Zwierlein, the team of researchers initially cooled individual sodium and potassium atoms before applying a magnetic field to merge them together and create sodium-potassium gas molecules.

By using lasers, these molecules were cooled at the temperature of 500 nanokelvins, bringing the gas molecules to a billionth degree above absolute zero temperature (-459.67F or -273.15C). According to American Live Wire, the temperature is a million times colder than interstellar space.

In the research, which was published in the May 22 issue of the Physical Review Letters journal, the MIT team found that the superchilled molecules still weren't as stable as everyday chemicals, but they were only quite stable to not react with other molecules around them.

Live Science reported that the molecules stick together for only 2.5 seconds before breaking up. However, experts said that is a long time when dealing with extreme conditions similar to the one in the experiment.

In addition, the team also discovered that the molecules showed strong dipole moments, which are the distributions of electric charges in a molecule that govern how they attract or repel other molecules.

Since sodium and potassium are both positively charged, they don't usually form compounds. However, with the use of evaporation, lasers and the application of magnetic field, the molecules did not repel each other. Instead, they stick together to form sodium-potassium molecules.

And in order to see some of the quantum mechanical effects that theories predict, the study suggests that the molecules can be cooled even further.

Tagsmolecules, Science, Study, Scientific Breakthrough, Matter, physics