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Quantum melting of Wigner Crystals Posted: 30 Jun 2021 08:53 AM PDT In 1934, physicist Eugene Wigner theorized that when electrons in metals are brought to ultracold temperatures, these electrons would be frozen in their tracks and form a rigid, non-electricity conducting structure -- a crystal -- instead of zipping around at thousands of kilometers per second and creating an electric current. The structure was coined a Wigner Crystal and was observed for the first time in 1979. What's remained stubbornly elusive to physicists, however, has been the melting of the crystal state into a liquid in response to quantum fluctuations. Now, almost 90 years later, physicists have finally experimentally documented this transition.

'There may not be a conflict after all' in expanding universe debate Posted: 30 Jun 2021 06:13 AM PDT Our universe is expanding, but our two main ways to measure how fast this expansion is happening have resulted in different answers. An astronomer gives an overview of the most recent observations. New conclusion: the latest observations are beginning to close the gap. That is, there may not be a conflict after all, and our standard model of the universe does not need to be significantly modified.

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