First Image Made of an Atom Spinning

First Image Made of an Atom Spinning. Physicists have discovered a way to play with matter on a subatomic scale, reaching into atoms to manipulate the spin of electrons. What's more, the scientists were able to capture the first images of the action with a special microscope.

Spin is one of three basic properties of electrons, along with charge and mass. Basically, spin describes the way an electron moves around an atom's nucleus (which includes the protons and neutrons) - the spin can either be "up" or "down."

In the new study, researchers figured out how to change the spin of electrons in cobalt atoms (a metallic element with 27 protons and 27 electrons). They used a custom-built microscope with a minute iron-coated tip to "see" the atoms and create the first images of electron spin being manipulated. Via AP/
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