Científicos canadienses crean el instrumento más afilado del mundo

Los Ginsu, una mierda al lado de esto: University of Alberta Nanotechnology Researchers Create Sharpest Tip Ever Known.

Forget the phrase, “sharp as a tack.” Now, thanks to new University of Alberta research the popular expression might become, “sharp as a single atom tip formed by chemically assisted spatially controlled field evaporation.” Maybe it doesn’t roll off the tongue as easily, but considering the researchers have created the sharpest object ever made, it would be accurate.

The scientists, working out of the National Institute of Nanotechnology (NINT) at the U of A, used a unique process to make the sharpest tip ever known and opened the door to a range of possibilities. Technically speaking, they were able to coat peripheral atoms near the peak with nitrogen, making it a one atom-thick, tough protective paint job.

“That coating has the effect of binding the little pyramid of metal atoms, or tungsten, in place,” said Dr. Robert Wolkow, a physics professor at the U of A and co-author on the research paper published in the Journal of Chemical Physics. “Such a pointy pyramid of metal atoms would normally just smudge away spontaneously. It’s like a sand pile – you know you can’t make it arbitrarily pointy. If you try to pile on more sand, it flows down and makes a more blunt pile. Metal atoms will do the same thing.”

Poco a poco, las aparatosas y nada discretas cuerdas de piano pasarán a la historia en el competitivo mundo de los hampones.

[tags]instrumento, afilado, tecnología[/tags]